Ronin & Sophomore
by chronodekar
Summary: AU: One is already a Toudai student, the other has failed the entrance exams. In addition to getting married, they also need to take care of the family lodge and bring in new tenants. This is the story about different people who find what they need the most at the Hinata Sou.
1. The Ronin

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_Here is my take on a Motoko/Keitaro story. Instead of Keitaro meeting all the girls at the dorm on his first visit there, I've decided to let him be engaged to Motoko from the beginning and have everyone else take up residence gradually. This means fleshing out a lot of backstory for the cast and from my notes it's obvious that we're heading towards an _Alternate Universe_ plotline.

Motoko is a bit older here than in canon while Keitaro is already a university student. There will be more focus on the friendship side of things for this fic and you can expect many divergences (as well as similarities) from canon. Hopefully, it will still be an interesting and enjoyable read.

From chapter-5 onwards I've added a "story so far" section right near the beginning before the actual chapter. Feel free to skip ahead if you don't feel like reading everything. Kanako first appears in chapter-8 while Naru pops up in chapter-9.

My writing appears to have changed (improved?) considerably since I first started this story. I came back to make a few minor corrections to this opening chapter and found it so repulsive that I rewrote the entire thing (including this AN, obviously!). The plot is essentially the same, just presented in a more polished manner (I hope).

The two dates below my signature are to reflect that. 'Original' is when I first published the chapter and 'Remake' is when I came back to do the rewrite.

_-chronodekar  
_(Original: 5/June/2012)  
(Remake: 8/October/2012)

_**Reading Recommendation:  
**_Please adjust the size of your window so that this sentence will fit in two lines (including the full-stop).

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 01)

_The Ronin_

* * *

_**Motoko's room, Aoyama house**_

Motoko was pacing up and down her room in a very nervous manner. She was wearing her training hakama and had her hair trailing loosely down her back. She had her hands clasped behind said back and was barefoot. Her room was spotlessly clean and she didn't have to fear about stepping on any sharp objects. Her gaze shifted towards one of the walls. She had framed her sword there. It was held in a beautiful red and green colored sheath.

The katana was called 'Shisui' and was her pride and joy. It was given to her by her sister when she became a master of the Shinmei-ryu (a.k.a. God's-Cry School). That was the name of their family kenjutsu of which her sister was it's current grandmaster. Motoko prided herself on how dedicated she was to the sword. She considered herself a devout follower of the traditional Japanese warrior class, which meant that she had to follow the path of obligation, politeness and duty.

Right now, all she had at her side was her bokken (wooden practise sword). It was held at her waist and within easy reach should she need to defend herself. Not that she expected anyone to attack her in her house, let alone her own room. She frowned as she turned to face the window. It was late afternoon and she could see a few animals and birds scurry around the inside of their house. A few clouds were in the sky, but it didn't look like it would rain.

Motoko let out a long sigh of depression as she thought back to when she discovered the uncomfortable situation she was in.

* * *

_**Some hours ago, near Tokyo University**_

Motoko got off the bus and stepped into a crowd of people in their late teens. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red T-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she had a pair of green sneakers on. It was the day the results of the Tokyo University Entrance Exam would be out.

She looked around at the people surrounding her. Most of them were student aspirants like herself. Well, in a few more hours she wouldn't be an 'aspirant' any longer. She would be a full fledged Tokyo University student! She smiled as she recalled the hardships she had to endure to reach this stage in her life.

Motoko's schooling finished a year ago. In most countries the next logical step would be to proceed onto some university/college or even a job. Japan however, was a bit different. To get admitted into a university the potential student had to participate in a series of difficult entrance exams. Then depending on how well one performed, the student hopeful could be admitted into the college of his/her choice. Competition for the top colleges was fierce and many student hopefuls would take a year off from their education and exclusively prepare for the entrance exams. To assist in this kind of endeavour, the pre-university student would join a preparatory school.

There was a preparatory school near Motoko's home and she spent a good portion of the last year there. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really have much of a social life last year either. Her nose was always in one of her textbooks. She had incorporated her studies into her usual exercise routine. At one point, she caused a disturbance by reciting modern japanese history from memory during their meditation hours. While an impressive academic feat, it was not appreciated by the others present and Tsuruko had insisted she meditate in her room from them on.

Some of the other students had looked at her with funny expressions when they saw her holding a textbook in one hand and practising katana swings with the other. Some of the braver students had even tried challenging her thinking that she was mocking them with that display. A few bruises later, they all learned to leave her alone. And as far as the grandmaster was concerned, as long as Motoko kept in good physical shape, she was free to conduce her exercises as she saw fit. It was one of the perks of attaining the rank of master.

Motoko grew a bit unhappy when she saw the crowd of students that had formed around the result notice board. The register numbers of the students who passed the exam would be posted there. She was sure that after all the effort she put into the exam, her name would surely be there! Still, it proved difficult to get near the board.

As a martial arts practitioner she could have elbowed her way through, but Motoko didn't feel like pushing through the crowd. She wanted it to be a day of celebration! Why spoil the mood by jumping into a mass of people who would push against you in uncomfortable ways? They would disperse soon enough anyway and she wasn't in any hurry at the time.

Looking around Motoko spotted an ice cream vendor nearby. She was a bit tired after the long bus ride and a cool ice cream sounded really nice. She walked up to the vendor and bought an ice cream cone for herself. Enjoying the sweet taste of vanilla in her mouth she made her way to the entrance of a nearby park.

As she stepped on the lawn she took a deep breath. The air felt good and spotting an empty bench she approached it and sat down. The ice cream half done she smiled as she gazed idly around her. A few children were running around and seeing them, brought back a few old memories for Motoko.

She was about 5 or 7 years old, back in those days. Her parents were still around too. The family had just lost a big court case involving the ownership of much of their ancestral property. It was a complicated case and Motoko didn't understand anything back then. She regretted not being able to help. In spite of all the effort they all put into training their bodies physically, it wasn't much use in a modern court. Motoko went to her sister's room a few nights later and asked if there was anything she could have done to help. Tsuruko just looked blankly out the window at the night sky and replied,

"Perhaps if we had a better lawyer working for us, this might have gone differently …"

It was from then on that Motoko decided to that she would become that 'better lawyer'. She looked up in the school library what a 'lawyer' was and learned that they were the people who defended their clients in court. They fought for their clients as well. But it wasn't with swords that they would fight. It would be with words. And rules. And the law.

She soon learned that it wasn't an easy job. It would be very difficult and would require years of study, practise and dedication. In some ways she was fortunate. She wasn't the oldest and didn't need to become the next clan head. She found out that most of the best lawyers in the country were the ones who studied in Tokyo University. It was just after breakfast a few weeks later that she suddenly announced to the rest of the family,

"I swear upon my name as Motoko Aoyama that I will graduate from Tokyo University and become one of the best lawyers this country has ever known!"

Honestly speaking she was shocked at herself too. But it was something she had decided for herself. It took some time to convince the rest of the family, but thanks to her sister's support she got their approval. Her parents were the easiest to convince. It was the rest of the clan that proved far more difficult. Motoko smiled a bit as she recollected those days. She had a lot to thank Aneue (older sister) for.

Deciding that she had spent enough time in the park, Motoko got up and made her way back to the result noticeboard.

* * *

_**Entrance exam noticeboard, Tokyo University**_

Motoko was relieved to notice that the crowd had lessened considerably since earlier. There were still a few people around, but it was a simple matter to maneuver between them. She soon found herself in front of her objective.

No names were printed on the noticeboard. It was to protect the identity of the students as well as to prevent malpractice. Motoko had her exam hall-ticket with her and looked at it. Her face stared back at her from the paper and she noted her exam number next to it. She looked up on the noticeboard. The registration numbers of the students who passed was listed in numerical order. That would mean her number should be listed somewhere between these two rows of numbers …

The world suddenly turned black and white for Motoko. All color vanished from her surroundings. Only the noticeboard and herself retained their coloring. She looked at the noticeboard with a visibly shocked expression. The pupils of her eyes grew wide and her brown iris narrowed in them. She held her breath and was stunned to the spot.

Just then the wind blew and lifted her hair. Color returned back to the world and she let out the breath she was holding and began to breath normally again. Or at least as normal as she could while in shock.

'Im-impossible! T-The-This cannot be! … But I cannot deny the truth right before me.' she thought to herself as she slowly began to shiver.

"My number is not listed here." she said out loud to no-one in particular. The wind blew some paper in the background and Motoko felt a little part of her die inside.

* * *

_**Back in Motoko's room**_

The hair on the back of her head stood up straight as Motoko heard the bell ring. Her elder sister had just returned home! She audibly gulped.

'Aneue's home already! What should I do now?' she asked herself in a fit of panic. She didn't notice, but her hair had gotten messed up and was flying all over her shoulders. She paced around her room even faster thinking to herself, 'This is not happening! This is not happening!'

The bell rang again. Without a pause, Motoko impulsively shouted back, "Please wait, I'm coming!"

The next thing she knew, she was running towards the front door.

* * *

_**Outside the Aoyama compound**_

Tsuruko was standing outside the house waiting for her sister to come and open the door. She had just returned from the post office after sending a package to her husband. 'I wonder how imouto (younger sister) fared in the exam?' she thought to herself. 'She was so sure that she would pass that I'm a bit worried if she was overconfident.' she paused to take a deep breath.

'What is taking her so long to open the door?' she asked herself as she raised her hand to ring the bell for the second time. This time she heard Motoko shout a reply from inside. 'On the good side, overconfidence is something I can teach her about. But first -' was all she got in her musing when the door opened to reveal her younger sister standing in front with small smile on her face.

Tsuruko looked at Motoko and observed that she had her hair combed back and was in a relaxed pose. She took that as a good sign and stepped into the house.

"Welcome home Aneue! How did your trip go?" asked Motoko as soon as she closed the front door.

"Ano … it went well" Tsuruko replied. She continued, "The postage rates have gone up again, but considering how often I use them, our post-office has begun offering me it's volume-discount package!"

She then looked up and thought silently before saying, "Though some of the clerks were worried that I might switch over to a private courier service. They didn't tell me directly, but I could hear them whispering behind my back."

She turned to look at her sister and said with a smile, "But let's leave all that aside for now! Come with me to the main room and you can tell me all about how your wonderful day went imouto!"

* * *

_**Sitting room, Aoyama house**_

Motoko found herself sitting in front of the table across her sister with two cups of tea before them. She idly noticed the steam rising from the cups. Strangely enough she was feeling calm. A bit _too_ calm. She wondered if this was how condemned criminals felt during their last few minutes alive.

Tsuruko mixed a bit of sugar into her cup and began stirring it. Satisfied that it had dissolved well, she brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip. She enjoyed the feel of the warm liquid wash down her throat. Looking up to her sister she queried, "So imouto, tell me. How did you fare in the Toudai entrance exam? Did everything go as you expected this morning?"

Motoko stiffened on hearing that. She wondered if her sister had already know from the morning how things would turn out. 'But that should not be possible.' she thought to herself. Motoko found that she had trouble looking at her sister in her eyes. Her eyes darted left and then right. Giving up, she took a deep breath and just opted to bend her head down and stare at her knees.

Tsuruko raised one of her eyebrows and said, "Ano … what are you doing imouto?" With a neutral tone she continued, "Come on then, you know you will have to tell me sooner or later. So out with it!"

Motoko raised her face and looked back at her sister. Her mouth was in a frown and she was whimpering, "Aneue … I … I …" Her eyes started to water.

Tsuruko looked back at her sister with a bit of trepidation. She thought to herself, 'Ano … This looks worse than I fear-'

"I FAILED!", bawled Motoko with a small fountain of tears coming out of her eyes. She then buried her face in her hands and shook herself saying, "I will never become a Tokyo University graduate!"

Tsuruko just looked back at her with a lost expression on her face. Inwardly she thought to herself, 'Somehow, I had a feeling that it would turn out this way. She was a bit too confident today morning for things to go smoothly.' She gave a long sigh and looked back at her sister who had bent over the table. The tears were still flowing. 'Times like this, I wonder if we promoted her to a master a bit too soon...' she thought to herself.

"I have brought SHAME upon our proud name!" cried out Motoko from her bent position on the table. "I can never hold my head up high ever again!" she continued.

Then rising from her position, she looked back at her sister and said with tears continuing to flow down her cheeks, "I understand the situation I am placing you in Aneue. Do not worry. I will move away from here and leave the house for good."

She then closed her eyes and began sniffing even more as she imagined how life would be for her from now on. With tears still coming out of her closed eyes and a leaking nose she said, "You must pretend to never have had a sister Aneue! I will banish myself from the clan and move away to the remote mountains …"

Motoko didn't notice in her tirade that her sister had gotten up from the table and had stepped up right next to her. Tsuruko rolled her eyes as she thought to herself, 'I know she's my younger sister and 19 years old, but at times like this I wonder if she might be my long lost 3 year old daughter instead.'

"I will learn to forage food for myself from the wilderness and wear the minimal amount of clothing - " was how far Motoko got in her ramblings before she was interrupted.

SLAP!

Motoko suddenly went quiet and looked up at her sister. Her left cheek was paining and from Tsuruko's hand position it was obvious that she had just slapped her. Before Motoko could speak another word Tsuruko grabbed her from under her chin and turned her head to face her in the eyes. Motoko was forced to look back at her sister's level stare.

"Listen to me and listen well, my imouto." said Tsuruko with an even tone. Motoko recognized _that tone_. It meant that they were no longer grandmaster or master but just two sisters. And that the younger sister had to obey her elder sister. As strange as the situation was, Motoko found herself blindly trusting her older sister and lowered her defenses. Tsuruko continued, "You are NOT going to be banished from our house over something as insignificant as this! Do I make myself clear?!"

Her sister had her chin caught in an iron grip. Motoko couldn't even nod her head or open her mouth so she just blinked her eyes to mean 'Yes'.

Tsuruko smiled and let her go. She stepped back and allowed Motoko to get up from the table. She asked, "I trust you know what you should do now?"

Motoko nodded her head and turned away from her sister. She took a step towards the exit and softly replied, "With banishment forbidden, I must commit seppuku to restore our family honor -"

WHACK!

Motoko jumped up in surprise and fell on the floor. As she picked herself up, she began to rub the right side of her bottom which was feeling unusually sore for such a simple fall. She looked back to her sister and found her holding out her right hand in a very _interesting_ manner.

Tsuruko smiled and said, "It has been quite a while since I've needed to spank you, hasn't it imouto? Ano … I miss the times when I had to do this daily." She had a really odd expression on her face when she said that. Motoko widened her eyes in alarm. Before she could even move her sister quickly came up to her and -

WHACK!

Now Motoko had to use both her hands to rub her rear end. Tsuruko just smiled back and said, "There. It's even now, right? Much better I should think."

Motoko just grimaced in humiliation while Tsuruko continued, "I want you to go to your room and spend some time meditating on what you should do next. Do you understand me?"

Motoko turned and blinked back at her sister. Tsuruko quickly came up to her, and using just her left hand effortlessly grabbed both of Motoko's hands and held them out in front of her. With her right hand she -

WHACK! WHACK!

She then released Motoko and stepped back to say, "I need a faster response imouto. Now, lets try this again. What are you going to do now?"

This time Motoko quickly replied, "I will go to my room and meditate on what I should do next."

Tsuruko smiled back and said, "Good, good. You _can_ answer quickly when you get sufficiently … motivated. Now go. I will see you again tomorrow morning. You may skip tonight's dinner while you meditate."

Motoko was almost to the door when she felt her sister grab both her hands again. She felt her body shudder when -

WHACK! WHACK!

She found her hands were free and looked back at her sister. Her rear was feeling very _sensitive_. She pleaded, "Aneue..." while silently asking 'Why?'

Tsuruko got the implied message and simply replied, "It just doesn't feel right if I don't do each side three times."

Her imouto just blinked back at her.

Tsuruko raised one of her eyebrows and continued in _a certain tone_, "We can start again from zero if you wish to remain here."

Motoko wasn't in the room any longer.

* * *

_**The next day**_

It was very early in the morning and Motoko found herself in the middle of the training hall sitting across her sister. They were both sitting cross-legged on the floor facing each other. The silence lasted for about 5 minutes before Tsuruko asked in a neutral tone,

"Have you given thought to your situation?"

Motoko nodded her head and replied, "Yes, Aneue."

Her sister took a deep breath and slowly asked, "Briefly explain."

She slowly nodded and replied with a sad face, "I've failed my Entrance exam and have not been accepted into Tokyo University as a student this year."

Tsuruko calmly asked, "So is this the end of your dreams of graduating from that university?"

Motoko shook her head rejecting the suggestion and replied, "I want to try again next year."

"So you wish to become a ronin?" asked her elder sister. It felt more like a statement than a question but Motoko replied anyway,

"Yes."

Tsuruko took a deep breath and closed her eyes in deep thought. Motoko wondered if her sister would try ordering her around as clan head. It wasn't unusual and Tsuruko had done it a few times before. But Motoko knew her sister very well. Tsuruko was the kind of person who would rather let Motoko figure out the reasonings herself first than to give out orders. She would only resort to the latter option if Motoko was being stubborn. Reluctantly Motoko had to admit that in the end, her Aneue usually made the right choice.

After a brief moment of silence Tsuruko opened her eyes and said,

"I have no problem with you repeating the exam for however long you wish. But, you still have responsibilities to fulfill towards this household."

Motoko closed her eyes as she let out the breath she was holding. She looked back at her sister and slowly replied, "I understand."

Tsuruko shook her head in dismissal and answered back, "I do not think you do. Tell me Motoko, how old are you today?"

Motoko blinked her eyes in confusion and replied, "I am 19 years old. But how is that relevant?"

Her sister replied, "And assuming the college accepts you next year, how long will the course take?"

Motoko raised a hand under her chin and thought about it. She answered, "About 3 or 5 years, I think. It will depend on my performance during that time."

"Which means that by the time you graduate you will be around 23 or 25 years old, correct?" asked Tsuruko with a _knowing_ look.

Motoko nodded her head in agreement saying, "Yes, that sounds about right …" she trailed off as she realized what her sister was trying to say.

"Aneue, it … it can't be time yet for me, can it?" Motoko asked in a hesitant voice.

"Be honest with me imouto. Do you think you will be able to afford any large distractions once you join the course?" her sister asked back with a concerned voice.

Motoko replied in a resigned tone, "No, that would just make things impossible for me. But can't we wait till I finish the course?"

Tsuruko looked sadly back at her and replied, "Imouto I overlooked this last year, but cannot do so again. It is our family tradition and you are stretching things too much as it is."

Motoko was unhappy and whined back, "But Aneue, last year you said it could wait till I finished my course."

Tsuruko's eyebrows bent closer together and her mouth became a frown. She answered back, "And last year you said that you would become a university student by now!"

Motoko closed her eyes and bent her head downwards, ashamed of herself. Before she could say anything else her sister said,

"Imouto, look up at me. Look at me in the eyes."

Motoko looked back up at her sister and saw worry in her eyes. Tsuruko continued once she had her attention, "Tell me honestly, do you want me to go around introducing you as some old maid? You are in the prime of your youth and some would say even the best years of your womanly life! Are you really telling me to let you waste it?"

Motoko decided to try a different approach and pleaded, "But Aneue, I am not ready for it yet! I have no idea what to do!"

Tsuruko looked back at her with a dead-panned expression. She said, "My husband would be shocked to hear that _my imouto_ just said that. You are going to embarrass me in front of him. You are a woman, are you not? You have not undergone some kind of secret surgery or transformation without my knowledge, have you?"

Motoko just blinked back in disbelief and replied with a bit of shock in her voice, "W-What?"

Her sister just shook her head in disappointment and said, "What kind of a response is that?" She looked back at Motoko with a _peculiar_ expression on her face. Before Motoko could even realize it, her sister had moved closer to herself and with both hands grabbed both sides of Motoko's chest.

Motoko's eyes went wide and she quickly jumped back saying, "EEEK!" She hugged herself and covered her bosom with her arms. She looked back at her sister crossly and demanded, "What was that for?"

Tsuruko just raised one her eyebrows and returned the look with disbelief written over her face. She answered, "You took so long to reply that I decided to check for myself. On top at least, you still appear to be a grown woman … " As she trailed off her gaze fell on Motoko's lap. She continued, "Your delay in answering leaves me with doubts. I still need to resume my inspection …"

A deep red blush quickly grew on Motoko's face and she quickly brought her hands between her legs to protect herself. With her eyes closed she exclaimed with embarrassment, "You do not need to inspect me anymore Aneue! I can assure that I am still a pure woman!"

Tsuruko let out a long sigh and pouted while saying, "Pity. I really wanted to check for myself …"

Motoko glared back at her and nearly screamed, "ANEUE!"

Tsuruko just smiled back and waited for Motoko to calm herself down. After that she continued with a worried tone, "That is something that really makes me worried about your future imouto. My husband took my purity from me when I was at least 3 years younger than you are now."

This time it was Motoko who looked back at her sister with a dead-panned look. She replied, "I feel that you married too early."

Tsuruko just quirked one of her eyebrows towards her head and replied, "Regardless, it is getting too late for you." she continued in a more serious tone, "I did not like postponing it last year and I most certainly do not want to do it this year. You will never know the real joys of being a woman if you keep delaying it like this imouto."

Motoko just grew a frown on her face and folded her arms under her chest while she replied in a defiant tone, "In that case, I do not want to learn the joys of being a woman!"

Tsuruko just closed her eyes and shook her head sadly saying, "And now you are just being stubborn imouto." She suddenly widened her eyes as she realized something and sat up straight. She _demanded_ in a much different tone, "Listen to me, Motoko Aoyama!"

Motoko just looked back at her sister with worry. She knew that tone. It was the one her sister used as Head of the family to force Motoko to do something. Tsuruko continued,

"I believe the reason why you are being evasive is because you feel that it is alright to wait till you are 25! That is only allowed under special circumstances. Circumstances which you most certainly do not fulfill!"

Motoko just grimaced as she listened to the Head of her family speak.

"We will NOT delay this any further. It's the middle of February now. Before the next academic term starts in April, you are getting married. And that is _my final decision!_" finished Tsuruko.

* * *

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Motoko just whined in defeat saying, "I am not going to like this."

With a much calmer tone Tsuruko replied, "Do not worry imouto. We will begin our search for your husband immediately after breakfast today!"

With a hesitant voice, Motoko slowly asked, "I won't be forced to marry someone repulsive, will I?"

Surprised her sister answered, "What would be the point of it then? I will see to it that the man we find is someone who is at least capable of stealing your heart away from you."

Motoko just grumbled back saying, "I can tolerate most of them, but I've never met a _male_ who has even come close to likeable." She added skeptically, "Let alone _stealing_ my heart."

Tsuruko just looked back with a glint in her eye. She replied in a confident tone, "Then I will take it as a challenge to find a suitable _male_ such that you will beg me to prepone the wedding night!"

* * *

_Coming Up Next "The Sophomore"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	2. The Sophomore

**DISCLAIMER:** Characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_Thank you very much for your kind reviews everyone! One reviewer mentioned that in the original Love Hina (LH), Motoko is about 5 years younger than Keitaro. Please remember that this is an _Alternate Universe_ story. So, some of those elements will be different! Another point mentioned was that Tsuruko used the expression "Ara!" a bit too much (that and it's also Mutsumi's catch-phrase). I've edited some of it out.

We finally see Keitaro in this chapter! Please tell me what you think of him. My biggest worry is the fight scene (No, it's not the usual LH 'fight'). Any suggestions to improve on it will be greatly appreciated. And of course, any grammar/spelling mistakes pointed out will be fixed as soon as I can.

-_chronodekar_  
(9/June/2012)

_**Reading Recommendation:**__  
_Please adjust the size of your window so that this sentence will fit in two lines (including the full-stop).

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 02)

_The Sophomore_

* * *

The next part of our story begins at the Tokyo International Airport, where we see a young 20-year old man getting off a plane that landed 30 minutes ago. His name is Keitaro Urashima and he's wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. A brown jacket, open at the front is kept over the T-shirt. He has dark brown hair and wears a pair of large rectangle-glasses that seem to cover a quarter of his face. He's wearing a pair of hiking shoes and as he turns to look towards the entrance terminal, the sunlight reflects off his glasses.

'Ah, Japan! It's good to be back home. The last time I was here was about a year ago, for Grandpa's funeral. Hmm... I guess the anniversary is coming up soon then, eh? Still, that was more of an emergency visit and I really couldn't enjoy myself. Before that, the last proper stay I had here was about two and a half years ago, when I was 17 years old. Those were good times, living with Grandpa, Grandma & Kanako. After that, it was a pleasant surprise to find that I got accepted into the University of London. Sure made a lot of my training easier. I wonder if Grandpa had a hand in that? Oh well, perhaps THIS time I'll get Grandma to spill the beans! Speaking of which, where is she? I know I told her that I would be coming back today and the plane wasn't late.'

A concerned Keitaro started looking around for his grandmother. After a few minutes of searching, one of the airport workers came over and told him to get off the runway. "Sir, you are supposed to go THERE!" the guy said, pointing to the Terminal. Embarrassed, Keitaro made his way over.

'Silly me! There I went, spacing out again. I'll need to collect my bags first, before they'll let me out of the airport. I guess Grandma's waiting outside. Oh well !'

Keitaro soon collected his bags from the airport baggage claim. All that was left, was to show some identification papers and leave. Unfortunately for him, there was a rather long line at the exit. It seemed that there was some delay in checking the passports. Being the curious type, Keitaro asked the airport security what the wait was for. He found out that as part of improving security since recent terrorist strikes at other international airports, a DNA scanner had been installed. It was new model, which, rather than needing the blood of a person, just needed the individual to exhale their breadth onto a glass panel. The system would recognize them from their saliva and do a cross-reference search with their database of known criminals. If a match was found, the individual would be detained for further questioning.

So, what was the current hold up? Well, other than the DNA scanner, every individual had to pass their luggage across the X-ray system that was placed alongside. Some people were asked to open up their baggage for cursory inspection and this was what was causing the current delay. Keitaro sighed on hearing that.

'Great, another delay! I like the idea of the DNA scanner, should make things proceed a lot faster, but what's the point if you counteract that and slow everyone down with an old-fashioned baggage check? Looks like someone in the upper bureaucracy screwed up! Damn. At least we can see some of the baggage they're opening with the large display placed in-front of the security guard there. Let's see, that old guy has lots of shirts, the teenager next has a lot of books – I wonder if he's a university student? Why's the lady there being slow? Looks like a pretty normal suitcase she has, and ... oh, it's full of panties! I guess, I'd be embarrassed about something like that too. And the short man after her has, … woah! It's full of money! Why's he carrying around so much raw cash? …'

Soon enough, it was Keitaro's turn. There wasn't anything unusual about his luggage, though the guards DID comment that he had an unusual amount of books. Still, once freed of the confines of airport security, our hero made his way across to the exit where he met up with his grandmother.

"Grandma! It's good to see you again! How've you been?" exclaimed Keitaro as he lifted up his grandmother and gave her a hug. In turn, she hugged him back. "Good to see you again grandson! Wonderful to have you back home at last" replied Grandmother Hina, a short old woman who rose up to Keitaro's chest in height and had her white hair tied behind her head in a small bun.

"I see that London's been treating you rather well. I was worried a bit, that you would stop training and become fat, but it seems to me that you've actually become a bit more muscular. Now let me take you back to the Hina Estate, there are things that I need to discuss with you -"

"HEEELLLP! Thief !" a shout came from their side. Both grandmother and grandson turned their heads to see a short man, wearing a green suit and tie, lying on the ground, obviously shoved there in a rough manner by the taller more mean-looking individual in front of him.

"Thanks for the donation, SUCKER!" shouted the thief, as he ran away from the victim, hopped onto his bike and began to drive away.

"Grandma, please take care of my luggage for me, I'm going to help that man!" said Keitaro, as he dropped his bags and began to run towards the bike.

'Oh, that boy! He hasn't changed a bit! Always thinking about helping others. It's a good trait and does the Urashima name proud, but I do wish he would give a moment's thought to those around him and NOT just throw his bags at me!' thought grandmother Hina who was currently struggling under a small mountain of bags that Keitaro had thrown at her. 'I should remind him to respect his elders …'

* * *

'Damn, that thief sure moves fast. He actually got his bike to accelerate to such a high speed! I wouldn't have thought it possible on such an old model, he must have a lot of experience using it! What should I do now? I can't just fire at him, that would attract too much attention to me, but I still need to slow him down. Ah, I got it!' thought Keitaro as he sprinted towards the escaping thief.

Keitaro muttered a phrase under his breath and put his hand inside his jacket to take out a small pin. 'I got this pin from one of the brochures at the airport. With a bit of modification, it should have enough strength to pierce his back tyre. Considering that he's coming to a rough spot on the road, no-one should suspect if I did anything. Here goes!' Keitaro then threw the pin with his right hand towards the thief's bike. It hit the back wheel and the bike went out of control, skidding and crashing into a tree nearby.

Our hero ran up to the wreckage and forcefully dragged the thief out by holding his collar and raising him up with his right hand. "What the HELL do you THINK you're doing! And that too in broad daylight! Think it's funny to throw a man to the ground? Well then how about if I do the same to YOU?" with that, Keitaro threw the thief to the floor.

THUD!

What followed was a happy reunion as the owner got reunited with his suitcase. Some of those on the sidelines, who had witnessed the whole thing came by and praised Keitaro for his selfless action. Our hero, good-naturedly put his left hand behind his head, nodded and blushed "It was the least I could do."

Smiling, Keitaro returned to his grandmother, his good deed for the day done. However, grandmother Hina was less than happy to see him.

"How DARE you bury me under a mountain of bags and run! Have you no consideration for the elderly! And your own Grandma too! What would Grandpa say if he saw this?" and as grandmother Hina ended her tirade, she demonstrated her mastery of the Urashima style of Jujutsu by jumping up and hitting Keitaro on the head with her left hand, resulting in said person plummeting face-first to the floor.

"Sorry, Grandma!" mumbled Keitaro from the asphalt.

* * *

"Umm… Grandma, I understand that you were in mourning over Grandpa's death, but was it really reason enough to close down the Inn and come live in the Tea-house? And what about aunt Haruka?" asked a puzzled Keitaro as he sat on one of the chairs in the tea-house where his grandmother had asked him to settle in.

Well, "settle" was a rather … firm word. What really happened was that as soon as they started walking up the steps to the Hinata Sou, grandmother Hina just turned and took the path to the Hinata Café without a word. When they got to the tea-house, all she said was "Throw your things into the spare room at the back and rest. We have work to do tomorrow!" There was nothing else, but get to sleep after that.

It was the next morning now and Keitaro just asked the question to his grandmother while she was preparing some pancakes from behind the counter.

"Hmm… Haruka didn't tell you? Well, it happened so fast, I guess they missed telling a lot of people. In fact, I think I might have been the only one they even bothered to tell. How do I put this? – Haruka got married." replied Grandmother Hina.

"SPPPPFFFTT!" Keitaro spit out the tea he was drinking. "WAIT! You mean to tell me that Christmas cake-san GOT married? After all the time I kept teasing her that she was well over 25, she FINALLY went and did it without telling me? Who was the guy?"

"An old sweetheart from her college days. I'm not sure on the details, but it turns out that he made some promise to propose to her after he turned 30. Rather idiotic if you ask me – but she was thrilled by it, so I let her go and enjoy her life."

"Amazing. I guess, she was lucky then? It's not easy for a woman to get married after they reach 25 years of age. Still, good for her! I'm glad to hear it. And my earlier question? Why did YOU come live down here, grandma?" asked Keitaro.

"Tell me, Keitaro, what you know about the history of the Inn?" replied back grandmother Hina.

Keitaro thought about it for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "Well, let's see here, the Inn is officially called 'The Hinata Apartments'. We have a hot spring which is a reservoir of magical energy said to cure most sorrows. In fact, I have plenty of fond memories, feeling very refreshed after taking a bath there when I was younger. Apart from that, if you want to go with local folklore, it is also called 'Inn of Fateful Unions', where any couple that spent the night, always ended up together. Unfortunately, after the earthquake 6 months ago, most of the structure was lost and we've never regained the financial strength to repair the damage. At least, that's what we keep telling people. Did I miss anything?"

Hina grinned as she replied, "No, you seem to remember it well enough. Which means I can look forward to a productive day? Now, right after we are done with breakfast, please accompany me up the Inn for an inspection."

"Yes Grandma!"

* * *

There had been an earthquake about 6 months ago, but considering how strict Japan is with building regulations, most of the newer structures stayed stable. However, the Hinata Inn, which was a very old building wasn't constructed with earthquake-prevention in mind. So, it wasn't surprising to most people that it had to be closed down.

Therefore, Keitaro was very much shocked when he found the place standing tall and proud as ever. … with the exception of a layer of dust that had seemed to settle everywhere. In fact, the building looked more abandoned than 'damaged-beyond-repair'.

"What, … what is all this, Grandma? I was expecting a broken pile of rubble here, but apart from the dust, everything's just fine!" exclaimed Keitaro waving his right hand towards the building. "I know you told me that we'll need to restore this place, but … I expected to be doing more work than just clean-up. And besides, I don't clean-up that well myself anyway. Those jobs usually tire me out too easily!"

"Keitaro, I'm disappointed in you." Grandmother Hina replied with a frown. "Don't tell me you can't sense IT? What have all your magical studies been for all these years then?"

"Sensing? Grandma, what IS there to sense? Even if I extend my probes to the limits, I don't feel any danger here! About the only thing worthwhile is some kind of aura coming out from the hot-springs. Whatever it is, it's more peaceful than malignant!" Said Keitaro as he began to walk into the Inn, taking out a broom and pushing some of the cobwebs aside.

"And that is EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Is THIS all you've learned from London? I expected more from you! Can't you tell what kind of aura it is?" retorted grandmother Hina while coming up behind him holding a flashlight and shining it ahead for them.

Keitaro grimaced and twisted his mouth in something of cross between a frown and a snicker. "Gee Grandma, I'm SORRY to be such a disappointment to you. I spend more of my time on the lookout for hostile presences which might hurt us instead of this …. _Pleasant feeling from the hot-spring?_"

They had just arrived at the hot-spring and Keitaro was looking over it in awe. There was a bit of moss here and there, but the springs were still beautiful. You could see clear water with light steam coming out from them. There were a few rocks on the edges where one could sit on, but were in need of cleaning first.

'I know he's not an idiot, but is that all he feels? As the heir, he should be attuned to the harmony of the building just as Grandpa & I were … Oh! That's it! Looks like I'll need to inform him of things myself then. Sigh!' thought Grandmother Hina.

"Keitaro, please sit down there" Grandmother Hina said pointing to a rock nearby while she sat down on a comfortable looking one herself. "I'll need to explain a few things to and this might take some time."

After they were both settled, Grandmother Hina began her explanation,

"As you know, ours is a family of magi. Most of the power and knowledge we have accumulated over the years has been collected and stored here, in the Hinata Sou. Keitaro, you being my heir, will, in time inherit it all. You've been training yourself in the basic magic arts at various academies around the world, but it's time for you to start familiarizing yourself with our more advanced family arts. Before that, however, we will need to get the Hinata Sou to recognize you as the next heir. Traditionally, this would be done from parent to child, but, considering that your parents have passed on, that task falls to me. From where I sit, I can see the lines of magic that flow around the place, and you, bearing our blood-line resonate with it well. However, there is something you'll need to know first. Do you know WHY there is still a lot of power in this area? That is remains here, in spite of me not taking care of it since your Grandpa passed away?"

"I knew that it was both Grandpa and you who looked after this property. And I've suspected for some time now that you shared the responsibilities of keeping any hostile spirits and entities away from this area, but what I do not understand, is why you could not do so on your own? I can still feel some of the wards that are still active, but they are fading due to lack of upkeep. Is there some special skill that only Grandpa knew about?"

"Nice guess, but no Keitaro. The truth is much simpler than that. In order to prevent any single member of the family from going rogue and just abusing the power stored here, all the wards, ley-lines and magical pathways have been designed to answer to the couple who takes care of this residence. What that means, is since grandpa passed away, I have been losing my control over the place. Without any change, I will lose access to all our family knowledge and treasures within a year. Which is where YOU come in."

"Ah! You want Kanako and me to become caretakers here? Not an issue. In fact, I'm sure my sister would be delighted at the prospect!"

Hearing this, grandmother Hina smirked. "There are times when I wonder if you really are dense. I'll give you a hint - we once gained the reputation as 'Inn of Faithful Unions' because it was a by-product of the magical energies associated with this place."

"By-product? … But then, how will this work out Grandma? If that's so, then most certainly Kanako won't do! It will have to be a loving couple who runs this place! My sister's too young to be involved in a relationship and I'm still single. In fact, I still have 2 years for my course to finish. I cannot risk getting distracted with a relationship right now! You can't possibly expect me to go flirting around, now can you? So, what could you possibly expect me to do?" asked a confused and gob-smacked Keitaro.

"Of course I do not want you to go flirting around with random women! That would be too risky, and we can't afford to have those with bad intents to join our family. No, Keitaro, the solution is far simpler. I'll be doing the needed background checks and will arrange Omiai meetings. You just sit back and take your pick!"

Wide-eyed, Keitaro replied " Wait, wait, wait! Omiai meetings? Did you listen to a single word I said, grandma? I still have 2 years of my course to finish! There's NO way this is going to work out! We can surely think of something else!"

"I DO know that you have 2 years left. But, we can't afford to wait that long! NO Keitaro, this has to be started off immediately and you ARE going to co-operate! Do I make myself clear?" asked Grandmother Hina with a dark fire burning in the background as she looked at Keitaro with a piercing stare.

"Yes, Grandma…" whimpered Keitaro, shaking from his grandmother's aura.

"Wonderful to hear that you agree to get married! Now, we'll start making lists as soon as we return to the tea-shop"

* * *

_Coming Up Next "First Meeting"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	3. First Meeting

**DISCLAIMER:** Characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_And here we are with chapter-3! One amusing question asked in the reviews was, whether this would be a Harem story? Simply put, NO. By the end of it, I plan to have the entire LH scenario setup, i.e. a single male surrounded by females, but as far as relationships go, it's going to be just Keitaro+Motoko. As for how the others feel, I haven't quite decided. But rest assured, this will not be a harem story!

An interesting question asked was - does this follow canon? With the current setup as it is, obviously not. But, main story-arcs will be canon inspired. For example in canon there was a Molmol arc. I have a plan to have a Molmol arc in this story too, but don't expect events to be as they were in canon. This is an AU story. If I wanted to just rewrite LH with my own style, I won't have labelled it as such!

Regarding Keitaro's education, the major concern should be addressed in this chapter. Speaking of which, there are some concerns that Keitaro/Motoko do not act as they should. At least, considering their background in this story. There are points where they will need to 'act silly' , but I will do my best not to degrade them too much. I apologize if it appears that I've failed in that regard.

And as for the notion of making this into a "_Harry Potter_" story. No way! Just because there will be magic involved doesn't mean that this will be a "_kiddy_" story. It's rated "T" for a reason and I intend to keep things that way! Though, depending on what the admins on this site do, I might need to raise the rating to M. But things haven't gone that far yet, so don't worry about it!

My original plan was to wait another 2 days or so before publishing this chapter, but a thoughtful review made me change my mind. The early release is dedicated to that reviewer (You know who you are) !

While I have a plotline in mind, I'm always open to any suggestions my readers might like the plot to flow. Speaking of which, I always respond to signed reviews. So, if you want to hear from me directly - leave a review!

-_chronodekar_  
(12/June/2012)

_**Reading Recommendation:**__  
_Please adjust the size of your window so that this sentence will fit in two lines (including the full-stop).

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 03)

_First Meeting_

* * *

Some people have an easy life. Others don't. But, still others have the unfortunate responsibility of being hit upon to serve those who enjoy easy lives. It isn't fair. Whining wouldn't solve anything. These would have been the thoughts of a round object if it were alive. Fortunately, the inanimate figure wasn't sentient. It was placed on the window sill and we can see its outline cast by a shadow as the sun begins to rise in the background.

_BBBRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG!_

A hand came gushing overhead and smashed onto the round inanimate object, bringing the room back into silence. _'Ouch! Every SINGLE damn day !'_ would have been the thoughts of the Alarm Clock had it been sentient. If you doubt the narrator, feel free to ask your own clock. Clocks tend to be loyal servants and should respond honestly to a Master's queries. If it replies otherwise, consider it proof that the Alarm Clock you use is stolen. Please return it to its rightful owner immediately!

"Yawn!", said Keitaro as he pushed himself out of bed. Left hand balancing his back and right arm outstretched above his head, Keitaro slowly began his morning exercises.

30 mins later, we find our hero in the Kitchen preparing breakfast. His grandmother prods in with her walking stick and asks "Hmmm... Nice smell ! What do you have planned for breakfast today, Keitaro?" "I thought I'd go with a western omelette, toast and some juice today. It should be ready in about 8 mins."

"Good, good..." replied grandmother Hina as she popped up on a chair and prepared herself by the kitchen table. She had brought a small stack of papers with her and was sorting them out into various piles. "Do you have any plans today grandson?" she asked after a few minutes.

Finishing up with breakfast preparations, Keitaro seats himself at the table before replying, "Hmm... nothing major. I need to go to familiarize myself with the local post office today morning, so I'll be heading there. Afterwards, I just thought that I would take a small trip in our local park. Oh, and we need more cleaning equipment, so I might buy that sometime too. Do you need me to do anything?"

"Don't worry about it. You just concern yourself with getting the Inn ready, while I concern myself with these papers here." replied grandmother Hina, leafing through some of the papers and discarding others. Some she threw away more vehemently than others.

Munching a slice of buttered bread, Keitaro picks up some of the discarded papers on the side and asks, "So, what are these papers anyway? They look like .. profiles? Hmm... you've discarded a few cute girls … and .."

"These are YOUR marriage prospects that I have collected from different people, grandson. And I would be most pleased if you do NOT look at them!", ended grandmother Hina with a stern voice as she snatched the papers from Keitaro's hand.

"Wait, why shouldn't I look at them? Don't I get to choose my own wife?" huffed back Keitaro as he scanned the different piles scattered around the table.

"No, not yet! I do not want you to get corrupted looking at these and besides, we need a girl who has some familiarity with our family arts. A lot of these are just rubbish! Most of these girls don't seem to even believe in the existence of magic while the rest of them think it's some kind of _entertainment_ ! What has the world come to?" growled grandmother Hina as she crumpled one of the profiles and threw it to the side. "And this one! Would you believe that one of these morons actually wrote '_Experience with pages 34 - 58 of the Kama Sutra_' ?! Are her guardians even trying to marry her off?"

As the discussion went back and forth, breakfast soon drew to a close. Keitaro packed up the plates and dumped them in the sink. Knowing that it would be useless for him to stay around any further, he went back to his room, got changed and ran for the door.

"Grandma, I'm leaving for the post office! And I have my cellphone, so call me if you need anything!" shouted Keitaro as he hopped out, closing the door behind him.

An hour later, grandmother Hina had finished going through the different profiles and she was NOT pleased. 'This is ridiculous! If it's not one thing, it's the other. Sure, I know that I'll never be able to find the _perfect_ bride for my grandson, but do we really have to settle for something much less?' she thought with a worried tone in her head. Sulking for a few minutes, she suddenly pushed her head above the table and exclaimed, "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? I should have just called her from the start instead of wasting my time. She DID help arrange the Omiai for the Konoe family a few weeks back after all! And besides Maehara-san is a wonderful conversationalist !"

Hopeful thoughts in her head, grandmother Hina walked up to the living room and picked up the phone to arrange a meeting. Hopefully Maehara-san wouldn't be too busy today...

* * *

'Hmm... I wonder what I should try cooking today?', thought a young girl as she walked down the steps from a nearby temple.

She was a little over 4 feet tall, has dark blue hair with a matching pair of blue eyes. She was wearing a pink skirt with a matching blue long-sleeved shirt and had a half-sleeve dark green jacket on top of that. The 12-year old's name is Shinobu Maehara.

Shinobu was still in school, but she had a talent for baking. Her mother was an excellent chef and was well-known for her cakes. Naturally, some of those talents passed on to the daughter as well. It was, in fact, Shinobu's secret desire to bake a cake that would surpass her mother one day and she would be found occasionally spacing out, thinking up of new recipes.

In fact, she was infamous in school for it. Once, while in the middle of sports practise, inspiration struck her for a new Peach-flavored bun and she was mentally half-way through developing the recipe when a volleyball came and hit her her on the head. In the hours that followed, the teaching staff grew increasingly worried as she lay in the nurses office muttering random words like "bake", "heat", "oven 200 degrees" … etc. The initial assumption was that she was possessed by some demon. This obviously led to the conclusion that if such an _innocent_ young girl could be so easily captured, what hope was there for the rest of the school? Especially the school administration! Not to mention the other students, of course. And more importantly, would the school budget be brought to its knees by hiring an exorcist? The best of them came from the Jubaan district and while their services were free, they had a nasty habit of leaving behind a lot of collateral damage...

Fortunately, before the discussion could proceed beyond that point, Shinobu's mother had arrived. She immediately demanded a private room with her unconscious daughter and a few minutes after it was provided, they were both seen walking out with happy expressions on their faces. The school board was given a quick explanation of Shinobu's 'Peach buns' (as they would be called henceforth) and a couple of hours working in the school kitchen, the entire staff were treated to said item. Needless to say, it was an instant hit. The school board was so impressed that they literally gave Shinobu the keys to the kitchen, with the condition that she would cook for the school during events. Some might have some concerns about a 10-year old being granted free access to the dangerous environment, that is a school kitchen. But that is neither here nor there and will not be addressed further in this chapter.

Another little habit Shinobu had, was buying little charms. No, not the magic spells that you read of in a Harry Potter book but rather, small trinkets that you can hang around the house for either good fortune or to ward off evil. Whether this really works or is an elaborate ploy by the Temple authorities to rip off impressionable young girls is under heavy debate. Nevertheless, as she was about to leave the Temple grounds something to the side caught her attention.

'Ohh,Shiny!', thought Shinobu as she drew near. It turned out to be a simple thread necklace that had a single glass bead on it. Nothing fancy, but simple and it had a certain amount of sparkle. It was cheap too. Money exchanged hands and a small while later, we find Shinobu walking towards the local park wearing her new eye-catcher.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shinobu's mother was sitting in a classy restaurant meeting with some old acquaintances.

"Lady Hina, it's been too long! How have the years been for you?" asked Maehara-san to the old woman sitting across the table. They were in a corner and 2 of the 3 chairs around the table were occupied. It was obvious that one more person was yet to come.

"It HAS been too long dear! And why is it that the first thing people ask me is about my age? I'm sure that was among the first few questions that even my grandson asked me when I met him again. I may be getting in my years, but there's plenty of strength left in my bones, yes there is!" replied back grandmother Hina, raising her chin in a proud pose.

A little minor chit-chat later, grandmother Hina got down to why they were meeting. "Do you think this other … friend of yours can _really_ help me find a bride for my grandson? I'm a bit suspicious. You haven't even told me who we are meeting today. And honestly, I'm getting a bit tired with all these Omiai meetings and that's nothing to how awkward Keitaro feels about them."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic; you worry too much! First off, I'm sure you'll recognize my _so-called_ friend. And … well, not including meetings like this, our absent lunchmate has been to at least 2 dozen Omiai meetings. In fact, when I heard that the BOTH of you were in the marriage market, it was a bit of a surprise to me that you hadn't met!" replied back Maehara-san.

"Who's to say we haven't already? Chances are, we have and this meeting is a waste of time!"

"Then you wouldn't have called me."

"Confident, are we?"

"Oh YES, very much so. Just a few more minutes, you'll see!"

A small while later, Tsuruko Aoyama walked into the restaurant. She scanned the area and immediately recognized Maehara-san sitting in the corner. An old lady was also sitting with her, but with her back turned, so she couldn't say who Maehara-san's companion was. Shinobu's mother on the other hand, recognized Tsuruko and waved at her, urging her to come and sit at the table.

"Wonderful to see you again! I was just telling Lady Hina here that you wouldn't take too long to arrive.", exclaimed Maehara-san, as Tsuruko sat down.

"Ano ... if it isn't Hina-san! It IS good to see you again!", said Tsuruko as she reached over to hug Keitaro's grandmother. "Tsuruko-chan? Oh my word! I'm so glad to see you too!", replied back grandmother Hina as she hugged Tsuruko in return.

With an inquisitive look grandmother Hina turned to Shinobu's mother and asked, "This is who you said would help me? I'm sure this will end up to be a wonderful meeting, but I highly doubt that it will be the end of my search"

"Jumping to conclusions before we have even mentioned names? Hina-san, I think old age is catching up to you!" said Tsuruko as she smirked at grandmother Hina.

"Tsuruko-chan, I have no doubt in your skills as a teacher and I'm sure she's a fine girl, … but .." grandmother Hina hesitated a bit before finishing, " common sense dictates that it wouldn't work. No matter how much training you may have given, the age difference is too great to overlook."

"Age difference.. ano?" replied Tsuruko as she blinked a few times. Then, turning to Maehara-san she asked, "Umm... Maehara-san, you DID arrange for me to meet a 20-25 year young man, didn't you?"

"Of course!"

"Then Hina-san, I fail to see why you are rejecting my offer without even looking at it. Please explain yourself." asked Tsuruko, with a small frown on her face.

Grandmother Hina sighed.

"My apologies Tsuruko-chan, but I find it very unlikely that my 21 year-old Keitaro would be a good match for your daughter. It's only been about … 8 or 10 years since you married right? I can help you look for someone else though. In fact, I think I have an old friend from Osaka who's looking for -"

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" interrupted Maehara-san. "What makes you think Tsuruko is here to arrange for her _daughter's_ marriage?" she directed the question towards grandmother Hina.

Grandmother Hina blinked twice.

"Huh..? But, who else is there from the Aoyama clan then? I most certainly don't recall anyone..." mumbled off grandmother Hina as she brought a hand to her chin and stroked it.

This time, it was Tsuruko who sighed.

"Hina-san, while I DO have a 3 year-old child, I'm here on behalf of someone else today. Namely my 19-year old sister, Motoko! Ara!" said Tsuruko.

Grandmother Hina shook her head a few times. "Wha..? Oh my Goodness! Tsuruko-chan my most humblest apologies! You just look so much like your mother, that I had a very inappropriate deja-vu moment. Please, forgive me!" exclaimed grandmother Hina with a rather large blush developing.

Tsuruko and Maehara-san exchanged a glance and began to giggle softly. Shaking her head sideways, Tsuruko replied, "Ano ... People say that I resemble my mother, but this must be the first time someone mistook me for her in an Omiai meeting! Think nothing of it Hina-san. It will make a good story to tell Motoko later."

Attempting to divert attention from her faux-pas grandmother Hina asked, "Speaking of Motoko, what kind of a girl is she? And …"

It took another 2 hours after that, but by the time lunch was over both, grandmother Hina and Tsuruko Aoyama had decided to conduct an Omiai meeting with their wards present. It would be a good opportunity for the other to evaluate their own wards. They were discussion for a possible date when Maehara-san suddenly sat erect in her chair and started shivering.

".. Maehara-san, what's wrong?" asked a worried Tsuruko. "You are aware that I have a daughter, right? Well, as long as we're within a few kilometers of each other I can sense how she feels. And right now, my Shinobu-chan is in very grave danger!" replied back the frightened mother.

* * *

_**A few hours ago...**_

Shinobu wasn't the kind of girl to pay attention to her surroundings. Many would question if that was a desirable quality in a girl to begin with, after all who knows when the next pervert would strike? It most certainly was a concern for her mother, but no matter what she tried, Shinobu would still end up spacing out, thinking about new things to try out in the kitchen.

Usually, this would not be a problem as the young chef would be in a safe location, such as her school or home. There was one rare occasion where she accidentally wandered into the local museum, but as it was a place where one would usually find academically-inclined day-dreamers, her presence was ignored until closing time. Fortunately, by then she had finished up her recipe and just called her mother with her cell-phone to come and pick her up. However today her habit turned out to be a very unfortunate thing.

You see she had daydreamed off into a local park. Usually, parks are safe locations, but this one was unique. It was located near the old industrial section of the city. Once, many years ago, it was a testament to how fast Japan progressed, compared to other nations of the world. Then the war came and in its aftermath, this particular part of the city was left abandoned. Why? Land disputes, unfortunately. Long story short, the original owners of the different buildings/plots passed away. Their immediate heirs were killed in the war and with different distant relatives claiming 'their rightful inheritance' there was no one left to maintain the facilities. The result is that today it was mostly full of dusty buildings that were home to the less reputable members of society.

Shinobu wasn't stupid. She (fortunately) had a kind of 6th sense that prevented her from unknowingly walking into a dangerous location. Consider it one of the specialities of her family's magic. The problem is that it only works if she's in her "daydream state".

It was odd, but while thinking up of batter preparations in her mind, Shinobu suddenly snapped out of it. She shook her head and blinked a few times. It was the most odd feeling. How to describe it? It was as if a presence was around her. A presence that she **knew** was there but couldn't see. On top of that there was that other feeling. It felt like she was being watched. And not just in the harmless manner. But as if she was lustfully looked upon by a stranger. It didn't feel nice and Shinobu wanted to get rid of the feeling. So, she did the most sensible thing to do. She blinked her eyes to focus and looked around.

She was still in the park - that was were people about - good again. Normally dressed people - the kind you don't associate with bad things - even better. But the feeling wouldn't go away. Hmm... why was that?

Shinobu decided to take a few steps forward and look around even more, this time, a bit more _carefully_. And then, she noticed it! Oddly enough the women were ignoring her. Well, that was normal. Most people would consider the sight of a young girl in a park to be a usual thing. But what was most unsettling were the looks of the men. They were staring at her! Not all of them were blatantly staring, but some were. And others just pretended to! They were even more creepy.

If Shinobu were a vain girl, she _**might**_ have made the idiotic mistake that this was a good thing. Finally, the boys were beginning to appreciate her beauty! But Shinobu wasn't an idiot. She knew that she wasn't exactly the most gorgeous girl in class, but she wasn't ugly either. Personally, she considered herself a little above "plain". Normally a girl would be flattered, to catch a boy staring at her. It proved that she was attractive! But to catch someone staring at you _lustfully_? That ... was bad news. At least, if it were one boy, you could just tell them off. _But every single male in the park?_

Something NOT RIGHT was going on right now and Shinobu didn't like it. She wanted to be back with her mother. But the senior Maehara-san wasn't around now. And it seemed, that the more she realized that something was wrong, the more … weird the men's behavior became. It was as if they too were breaking up from a daydream. And the more "awake" (can you call this behavior that?) they became, the more lustfully they began to look towards our little Shinobu.

Shinobu was scared! She was frightened! This is not the way normal people behave! She did the next most logical thing for a girl to do when confronted with this situation,

"EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!"

She screamed.

Unfortunately, nothing good happened. The women just kept ignoring her. In fact, they acted as if they couldn't hear her. And the men? Well, they began to approach her.

Shinobu began to shiver now. _This was not good!_ Somewhere, in the dark recess of her mind an unusual though popped up - What would have happened if she hadn't been snapped out of her daydream? Would everyone have just acted as if nothing odd had ever happened? Unfortunately, it was a bit too late to test that theory. She turned and ran for the nearest park exit.

Which … led to the old industrial section of the city.

* * *

It had proved to be more difficult than expected to find a post office. Keitaro knew that Japan had advanced a lot, but a complete abolition of the postal system? That … couldn't be right. But he most certainly felt that way. After leaving the Hinata Tea House, the first thing he did was to take the metro rail and get down at the most busiest stop. Once there he proceeded to wander around a bit exploring the sights. Normally, one would expect to find signboards which indicated where the different city facilities were located. Unfortunately for our hero, he found none.

In fact, it didn't even look like the busiest part of the city at all! It looked like some old derelict from the pre-war days! Thinking back on some of his archaeological lessons, Keitaro began to recognize the structure of some of the buildings around him. It was, in fact, when he saw a hobo duck into a very dusty (and rather unstable) structure that confirmed things for Keitaro. He was nowhere near the main part of the city! This _was_ some out-of-the-old-section that he was stuck in. And possibly lost. Keitaro sighed when he realized that.

"Great...", muttered Keitaro as he stood by the pavement. "I was supposed to be in the main center of the city by now, but instead … Tch! How embarrassing! How did things turn out this way?" Keitaro pondered, raising his right hand to his chin and stroking it, while looking upwards in a 'thinking' pose.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that asking a random 80+ year old man, "What is the busiest part of the city?", was probably where he made his mistake. A real pity too. That old guy wanted to cross the street and Keitaro helped him. During that unusually long walk across the road, he tried to engage in some light conversation. The fact that he had to shout at the old guy should have been his first hint. But he ignored his better sense and just went along with what the old guy said. At the time, Keitaro was sure that the old gent wasn't lying. He was certain that he was telling the truth. So why was this place such a mess?

"Ah!" Keitaro realised, bringing his right fist into his left palm. The old man didn't exactly make a mistake! He just told Keitaro the most busiest part of the town, from when he was younger! It made sense. Considering how slowing he was walking it was very likely that he didn't go out very often and that his information would be out-of-date.

It was an honest mistake.

Keitaro smiled on realized that. At least his intuition regarding the old guy wasn't false after all! But what to do now? Hmm, may as well walk around and explore a bit decided Keitaro as he prodded along.

A lot of thoughts went through Keitaro's mind as he walked. What to do about tomorrow's breakfast? They were almost out of eggs and Granny had asked for some soup. Looks like some shopping would need to be done later in the evening. And what about the college transfer? Keitaro was planning to complete his education in London, but then Granny notified him that he would be needed back home. It had taken a bit of paperwork and a lot of running behind administrative officials, but Keitaro got his course shifted to a dual-degree one. He would do half of his education in London and the other half back in Japan, with an institute that his parent college had a tie-up with. All that was left now was to get the papers, which they said would be sent via post. He still had a few weeks left for the beginning of the next term, so it wasn't an urgent priority, but he still wanted to get it done soon. And what about -

"EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!"

Keitaro's thought process was suddenly interrupted by a scream. Keitaro wasn't exactly a hero. But he wasn't the type to just ignore people in need. Especially if they sounded like young frightened girls! It didn't sound nearby, so Keitaro took off in the general direction with a sprint.

'Please let me be on time..' thought Keitaro as he ran.

* * *

Somehow, it seemed that running was a bad idea. Oh, she knew that it wouldn't last forever. But, what made things worse, was that as soon as she began to run even the women, who originally ignored her plight began to come after her. At first she thought that, perhaps they would reign in their unruly male counterparts. Then, just as she passed a sign that said "Industrial Area - 23" she turned back and saw that, no they were not even trying to stop the males, they actually looked at her as if they wanted to claw her out!

And they were _all_ chasing her.

On the good side, at least they weren't exactly running. They moved as if they were possessed by some evil spirit or male there, he took a half step with his left leg. Then another half step with the same leg. And then suddenly hopped 2 steps with his right leg. He then waited a bit before repeating the process. It was a very unusual way of walking, and didn't look very comfortable either. Everyone was doing some variant or the other of it. The lady at the back appeared to be moonwalking. Shinobu, on the other hand had no restrictions and just kept up her run.

She first turned left at the big junction. Some cars were parked to the side. There was a small pile of garbage cans to the opposite side. Oddly enough, the street looked deserted. Why was that? Shinobu knew that it wasn't the time to stand and ponder, so she kept running. After knocking down those trashcans, first of course! May as well slow down those … chasers.

It didn't really help much. Sure, it slowed down the ones behind her, but more oddly-acting people came out of the old buildings and started moving towards her. They appeared to be construction workers and their families. And they appeared muscular too. Not Good.

And then Shinobu looked ahead of her. A dead end. Oh Dear! She turned back and saw the chasers coming up behind her. This was bad! This was very VERY bad! Shinobu had read in the newspapers; of girls who would be led to dark alleys by strange people. They would … do things. _Brrr!_ Her mother warned her not to get stuck in situations like this. A good aunt and once told her that it wasn't punches or kicks that she would need to worry about. On no! At least, those would heal easily enough. It was the touching that she should be worried about. The chases were closer now. About 2 feet in front of her! Shinobu huddled and crouched in a corner. She had her head in her knees and arms over her hair. She prayed that this nightmare would STOP! PLEASE !

She then felt a shadow move over her. Then a small "thud". She looked up. Some boy had jumped over the wall behind her and was now facing the chasers, with his back towards her. He was wearing a brown jacket and a pair of blue jeans. He had dark brown hair and seemed to be wearing large rectangle glasses. But most importantly, it didn't seem that he was possessed, like the rest of them. Oh please, let him be here to help!

* * *

Keitaro turned his head around after he landed. He was surprised to see a frightened little girl huddled up in the corner. It seemed like she was petrified, with the way she was shivering. And in front of him, some muscular construction workers were coming closer. Introductions could wait; Priorities first!

Keitaro threw an open handed punch at the nearest one. He went down in a daze. He then gave a quick blow to the one on the right. He went back too. Keitaro finished the sequence with a spinning kick that pushed most of the chases back by a few feet.

With some distance between them and the chasers, Keitaro turned to the little girl and asked, "Young miss, I'm not here to hurt you. But, it would be best to get out of here quickly. Please stand up."

The little girl had seen the fight. If nothing else, at least the person in front of her seemed friendly. She stood up from her huddle.

"Good." replied Keitaro. He glanced at the approaching horde of chasers. They didn't look too friendly and were getting closer. He turned back and asked her, "I think it would be faster if I carry you. Do you trust me?"

The little girl shivered once. She then looked back at the mob behind him. Didn't look like there was much choice. She nodded once.

Keitaro then scooped her up in his arms and leaped for the wall. He landed his right foot about a foot above ground, right under the window-sill. With the momentum, he made a leap for the top of the opposite wall. He landed with his other foot and leaped again right over it. Still carrying the little girl bridal-style, they landed on the opposite side.

Keitaro let the little girl down and scanned the area. It was a street and there didn't seem to be anyone in the vicinity. They both could here the mumblings of the chasers from the other side of the wall.

Keitaro wasn't a novice. His practise made him realize that those were just ordinary people, but possessed. And it looked like a weak possession spell too. Chances were, he could break it easily. The mumblings of the chasers grew louder. It seemed that they were trying to climb over the wall now. "Hope this works", thought Keitaro as he closed his eyes and put his right palm on the wall, behind which their pursuers lay.

Shinobu wasn't unfamiliar with magic. In fact, her family had a few skills, but didn't practise them much. With modern medicine, the need for a magical healer had diminished over the decades. In fact, she didn't believe that any practitioners were left in this day and age. So, she was very surprised and amazed as fluorescent green equilateral triangle formed on the wall just under the boy's palm.

It's top end faced the sky, while the bottom side was parallel to the floor. The triangle spun round in an anticlockwise fashion so that it was now pointing downwards. The boy muttered something under his breath. Now, a green circle began to grow from under his palm. It soon grew around the triangle. The boy then opened his eyes and looked at the symbol formed. It glowed, and he then exclaimed, "Dispel!" . A small gust of wind blew out from the wall and the mumblings on the other side stopped.

Keitaro then turned to the girl and said, "That should free the people of what caught hold of them. We should be safe for now."

"It would be best if we at least, figured out what caused them to behave like that though. Young miss, do you have any idea..." Keitaro trailed off as he got a good look at the young girl. His eyes widened as his gaze fell on the glass bead hung around her neck.

"That", he said pointing to the glass bead. "is the source of our problems. Can you please remove it?" he asked.

* * *

_**Sometime after breakfast today …**_

_It would prove to be an eventful day today._ Motoko just felt it as she left the hotel where she was staying with her sister in Tokyo. She couldn't really explain why she had the feeling, but it was just the way things were with her. On other occasions, usually in a fight, she would feel 'jump left' or 'duck' and followed the instinct. It usually proved to be the right thing to do. Take for instance the last time she felt, '_It would be a disaster today_'. That was the day she discovered her failure to get accepted into Toudai. It was a huge warning, but in her excitement, she ignored it. Or rather, she didn't want to acknowledge it. And whenever she chose to ignore such signs, things would go very badly for her.

But, _Eventful Day?_ What kind of preparation are you supposed to make for that? Shrugging her shoulders Motoko continued walking around the city. She thought back on how things were proceeding along with the trip they were currently making. They were scheduled to go back home in a few days.

It had been one Omiai meeting after the other. Initially, Motoko was nervous. After all, it wouldn't do to make a bad first impression on a potential husband, now would it? Then, after attending 3 such meetings, she began to lose that nervousness. None of the men they met proved to be up to the Aoyama standards. Sure, they were all good looking; at least that's what they said in their profiles. Motoko however had a rather different standard for attractiveness. She was a strong girl and was very proud of it too.

So, it was only appropriate that her husband should also be strong. All the men she had seen so far seemed … lacking in that department. That's not to say all of them were horrible. Some had good talents - like the singer, or the tailor. But, none of them had what she was looking for. And fortunately, her elder sister Tsuruko agreed.

Which made Motoko wonder, why did Aneue want to go and attend all these Omiai meetings in the first place? Further pondering of the question made Motoko realize something - For almost all the Omiai meetings, Aneue managed to give off an aura that made the candidates shiver in fear. Ah! That was it! Tsuruko enjoyed torturing the prospective grooms.

Motoko grimaced at that. Only Kami would know what aneue would do to her husband _after_ they got married. Though she never met the man, Motoko closed her eyes and gave a silent, but short prayer. She would consider making it longer if she ever grew to respect her potential life-partner … that is, if she ever met him.

Attending more than a dozen Omiai meetings does that to a girl. You begin to lose hope that you'll ever find your mate. Motoko knew that she was attractive. What she was sad to see, was the state of young men these days.

-sigh-

Oh well, may as well leave such thoughts for Aneue instead. Motoko didn't attend all the Omiai meetings. On some occasions, her sister would go by herself leaving Motoko to spend the day as she liked.

Today was one such day.

The Omiai meetings wouldn't go on forever. Regardless of how things turned out, Motoko needed to be accepted into Toudai! So, she decided to try attending a different preparatory

school. She had heard that there was a public notice board in a local park and decided to head there. Of course, she was browsing the path she walked for signs as well.

It was as she walked, Motoko realized how odd the Japanese education system was. Basically, after school most children would join a college/university. At least, that's how it was in most parts of the world. Now, the more prestigious a college was, the more applicants there were. To wean out the bad candidates, a college would conduct "Entrance Tests". Again, a procedure followed in most countries.

What was unique in Japan, was the existence of "Tutoring Centers" or "Preparatory Schools". Places a child would go after schooling to prepare for a college entrance test. These centers did not have any accreditation of their own and would never even issue certificates to their students. Basically, they were glorified private tutors.

As Motoko began to wonder about conspiracy theories involving the Japanese education system she felt something.

The air _felt _strange. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but after years of training in the Shinmei-ryu style, Motoko knew that something was off. Her keen eyes surveyed the surroundings, taking in the trees in the park, the ice cream vendor, the glazed look in the eyes of the people around her.

Taking a guarded stance, Motoko approached the nearest person. It was a mother who appeared to have come with her daughter to the park. From the open handbag, it appeared that she was going to buy something from the nearby stalls. But now, she was moving along, with her eyes pointed upwards and .. swaying in the spot. There really wasn't a good way to describe it. But, it wasn't natural.

Closing her eyes, Motoko took a quick aura scan. It's one of the most basic tactics of their fighting methods. On different occasions, swordmasters would be requested to exorcise an evil creature and they had developed the aura scan to be able to feel out their surroundings. It wasn't a high-level technique. In fact, even one without training could pick it up quickly enough. Right now, it was telling Motoko that the different people in the park were under some kind of influence. Exactly what, she wasn't sure, but as a general rule, anything that robbed an individual of their free will was considered to be a bad thing.

Now, how to free them? They weren't attacking her or making any hostile movements, but from experience, Motoko knew that it would only be temporary. Thinking back to her lessons, she remembered, that most connections could only be maintained if the target/victim was conscious. Well, that was easy enough to rectify!

Motoko stepped up to the woman and her daughter. She then brought her hand right under the mother's chin. A quick movement later, the mother fell down unconscious. As soon as she fell, Motoko felt the connection breaking. With that first success, she proceeded to do the same for the daughter as well.

However, to repeat this for everyone would be too time-consuming. It would be best to take care of the problem at the source. But, how to locate it? While pondering these thoughts, Motoko was slowing looking around and it was then that she noticed it.

'Why are some of the dazed people moving in that direction?', Motoko thought to herself as she looked towards one of the park exits. It appeared that some of the dazed were leaving. With no better leads, she sprinted towards them.

As she got closer to the exit, she noticed that more of the dazed were present and that they were all heading in a general direction. As she moved past them, she knocks them unconscious. At least, the ones within her reach.

When she entered the old industrial section, she felt something else. It was as if some kind of power surge or transformation had occurred somewhere. She sped up her pace and noticed that she was heading towards what could only be described as a dead-end.

'That … can't be good.' thought Motoko. But as she neared the alleyway, she noticed a lot more unconscious people lying around.

'Hmm... it looks like someone else is here cleaning up the mess too. May as well see if I can lend some assistance. If nothing else, I'd like to know what's going on.' thought Motoko as she entered the alley-way.

* * *

Shinobu thought that they would be safe - at least for a small while, after they jumped over the wall and landed on the empty street. But, then she began to feel weird again. It _**felt**_ nasty. A lot more intense than when she was first interrupted from her daydream earlier today. She knew that something very bad was going to happen. And that she wouldn't like it!

Then her rescuer, pointed towards her new jewellery around her neck, or more specifically, the glass bead. It wasn't sparkling peacefully anymore. It had turned dark - purple. Or perhaps blue? Then it seemed to turn brown. Shinobu wasn't sure. But, either way, it began to float on its own to become level with her neck.

Then a flash. An **evil** and dark flash.

Shinobu wasn't on the street anymore. It was as if she was floating in space. It was dark all around her! She could see herself - at least she was still in the same dress she was wearing just a few minutes ago. But where was here? And the darkness around her - it was really creepy and confining. Shinobu didn't know how else to describe it. And then, _the voice_.

'_Damn that brat for interfering! Why don't you humans mind your own damn business and ignore the ones that I possess around you!'_

Shinobu didn't really understand what was happening. But it was what she _**felt**_, that frightened her the most. _The voice_ seemed to come from within her and … also from the darkness around her.

Suddenly, what appeared to be a big TV screen switched on in front of her. It showed her the street she was on. And the young man who helped her was looking towards her with a horrified expression on his face. But where was Shinobu in the picture? Then she realized with horror, that _the screen was displaying the street, as it would appear from Shinobu's own eyes!_

'_Ah, FINALLY! A real pity that your core is so weak child. But at least now, I have possession of your body. I can do whatever I want with it! And the first thing I'm going to do is _**kill**_ that brat!'_

She lost! Shinobu knew then and there that she lost! Her mother had once told her stories of evil spirits who possessed people. Once you get possessed there is no turning back. The external entity would merge with your magical core and literally mould your form to its will. There was really no hope left. The only thing anybody could do was to destroy the possessed individual. Killing them would not only destroy the evil spirit, but would also free the original owner to rest in peace.

Shinobu was going to die.

Tears began to well up on her face as she realized this. She hadn't created anything that would be better than her mother's cooking! She never even went to college. What did she do to have her life ended at so young an age? Sniff, sniff! As she sobbed in that weird place, she gave a silent thanks to the young man who tried to help her in her last moments. At least, there were still nice people like him in the world. If only she could have got to know him better …

* * *

'Damn! It's never easy, is it?' thought Keitaro as he jumped back from the dark miasma that had begun to form around the young girl. Things had just gotten worse. No sooner had he pointed to, what was obviously a parasitic object, it began to glow dark and float on its own. It was as it the object understood what he had just said and was attempting to stop him.

'Of course! How could I forget the 101 of basic dark possessions?!' berated Keitaro to himself. 'As soon as a dark object realizes it's in danger, it will act to save itself. Usually at the expense of its host. Or if that's not possible it will try to take the host down with it. But .. that shouldn't have happened here! She might have been under the influence, but I am skilled in detecting magical cores. And while she has one, it can't be strong enough for this … demon to possess her. So what just happened?'

Sweat began to flow down the side of Keitaro's neck as he looked on in horror as the dark miasma began to envelop the young girl. A thought just struck him - 'Of course! She doesn't have a core that's strong enough to sustain a demon. This attempt will very likely fail, but the monster hasn't realized it yet. Which means there's still time to save the girl before things are completely lost!'

To exorcise the demon, Keitaro would need to create a bounded field around the affected object, or in this case person. That would prevent the demon from attempting to escape. Then, tuning the array of the field, he would be able to force the demon out of the vessel it was possessing. With inanimate objects, this would usually be a non-issue. But, with a living creature, especially a human being things would be complicated. It would take a lot of his concentration to just tune the array. And then after that he would need to ready some kind of strike. Something to destroy the demon as soon as it left the host.

It was a straightforward procedure. Keitaro had done it multiple times with his younger sister, Kanako. Either one of them would tune the array, while the other would ready the strike. It would usually work without problems, but they were more used to dealing with much smaller demons. To attempt to do both tasks by himself, there was the risk that the array would misalign and get out of sync. Then, considering the short time period he would get, there was a very good chance he would end up killing the victim while he struck.

Keitaro didn't want to risk killing the girl, but the more he hesitated, the worse the young girl's condition became as the demon continued to attempt the possession.

It was then that our hero noticed another individual enter the scene. It was girl in her late teens. She had long black hair combed back in the traditional japanese fashion and was wearing a training hakama. She also had, what looked like a bokken with her. She was standing on top of the wall Keitaro had jumped from, not too long ago. From the looks of it, she seemed to be familiar with exorcisms too. Most importantly, the demon hadn't noticed her.

Keitaro locked eyes with the new arrival. He then glanced towards the demon in process of possessing the young girl. Bokken-girl nodded back. Well, he didn't really know her, but in that moment, there wasn't really much choice. He would just have to trust her.

Assuming that she would be able to take care of the strike needed, Keitaro devoted all his concentration to forming the bounded field. He clasped his hands in front of his chest and slammed both his palms on the ground.

Immediately a green arc began to grow outwards from where his hands had touched the floor. It grew and linked forming a circle around the girl. Then an equilateral triangle began to form in the center, right where the demon/girl was standing. It flickered a bit and then expanded slowly. It stopped when all 3 of its corners had touched the circle from the interior.

Keitaro muttered a spell. He hoped that bokken-girl knew what to do next. All his concentration was focused on tuning the field now. As more sweat began to flow across his brow, the magical array on the floor began to spin. It began slowly, then the speed picked up. Soon, it was spinning so fast, that you couldn't see the interior triangle anymore.

Keitaro didn't dare to lift his head up. All his concentration was focused on tuning the field. But he felt it. He knew that the demon was being pulled out. A few more seconds, and it would be bokken-girl's turn.

He wasn't disappointed. He soon heard the sound of bokken girl jumping off the wall and leaping down screaming a battle-cry.

He then felt the field collapse from under his hands.

* * *

Motoko didn't know what to expect as she jumped on top of the wall. The trail led her here and she was most curious to see what was happening. What she saw, as she stood up made her grimace.

A demon was attempting to possess someone - she could tell it was a person, but beyond that, the dark miasma made things too difficult to identify. Then, a little across the evil shadow was a young man. From his state of exhaustion, it appeared that he was the one who 'cleaned up' the alley, Motoko deduced. However, he was now looking at the miasma with a sour look on his face.

It seemed that he sensed her presence. That was a bit surprising. From his state of exhaustion, it didn't seem like he would be too capable of noticing anything beyond his immediate surroundings, but it looked like glasses-boy wasn't half bad. And it appeared that he was a mage too. 'Not too many of them around these days.', Motoko thought.

Glasses-boy caught Motoko's eyes. Ah! He wanted to exorcise the demon without killing the victim. Motoko had seen that kind of look before. She nodded her head. The boy then took a stance and started to form a bounded field. It looked like it was taking all his concentration just to form it.

Motoko knew what she had to do. She took a stance and held up the bokken in her right hand. Externally, it looked like an ordinary practise bokken. But, it was etched with runes on the side and was blessed with spells that were a speciality of the Shinmei-ryu school. Perfect for exorcisms, like now.

She then started spinning the bokken above her head. It looked like the minute hand of a clock that was moving slowly. It then began to pick up pace till it was nothing but a blur. Bringing the sword to her right side, still spinning, Motoko leaped from the wall right over the dark miasma. As she made the jump, she turned the bokken over her head so that it would be able to strike down with the obtained momentum.

"BEGONE !" screamed Motoko as she brought the bokken down on the demon-spawned miasma.

A white flash.

"AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" a scream echoed, as the miasma was dissipated away. With the miasma gone, the bounded field collapsed, having nothing to target.

It was then Motoko noticed the person who had been possessed - a young girl.

* * *

There are some benefits to sitting at the same lunch table with the wise old grandmother Hina and experienced Tsuruko Aoyama. The obvious, of course, is that you can almost be guaranteed a safe meal. After all, who would be crazy enough to challenge 2 Masters?

Another benefit, as Maehara-san was discovering, was that if you claimed your daughter was in danger, both of them would immediately leave the restaurant with you and help you search for said daughter. In retrospect, Maehara-san would always be thankful to the two of them for their help, but at the moment, she was just a frantic mother who was deeply concerned about her daughter's well-being.

The 3 of them had left the restaurant and travelling in grandmother Hina's 2-year old Ford Mustang. It was a custom-built imported car and moved fast. Some of the customizations were esoteric in nature. Which meant, grandmother Hina had to start the car twice and kick it under the steering-wheel. "Calibrating the resonance frequencies!", was how she explained it - whatever it meant. As far as Maehara-san was concerned, it was all gobbledygook.

But she trusted grandmother Hina. As they approached the temple where Shinobu said she would be going, they parked the car and began the search on foot. Tsuruko proved to be most helpful in this regard. It seemed that she sensed some kind of situation was going on in the general direction of the old industrial block and led them through a short-cut.

Essentially, jumping over the roofs of different buildings.

They had just landed on a street that was empty of people save 3 figures - a dark miasma twirling around, a young man sweating on the floor and a teenage female standing on the wall. It didn't seem that their presence was noticed.

For some reason, grandmother Hina's and Tsuruko's faces lit up with recognition. Maehara-san wondered what was going on. But she felt, in the pits of her chest that the dark miasma was her only daughter. And was far from comforted on seeing it.

The trio had just taken a few steps, when the exorcism started.

Relief flooded Maehara-san when she saw her daughter, free of the miasma. The teenager had caught her and was looking over her. it seemed that Shinobu was unconscious. BUT Safe! That was all her mother needed to know.

It was a heartwarming scene to watch Mother come and scoop her daughter into a hug. Said daughter was not able to return affections immediately, but her mother knew that she was relieved too. A few minutes later, Maehara-san turned her head to thank her daughters rescuers. It was then that she recognized who they were. And she was most amused to see what happened next.

* * *

As mother and daughter were reunited, a curious scene was happening just a few meters off. Having no need to rush, grandmother Hina and Tsuruko Aoyama decided to slowly walk towards their wards.

"You have a most competed sister Tsuruko. I have to say I am impressed with how she handled that. And it seems that she had no trouble working with another mage! Have you given her training in that regard?" asked grandmother Hina.

"She has, of course, had training with exorcisms. However, I think this was the first time she actually did it against a human-possessing demon. Most of the ones in our area just inhibit trees or other odd trinkets and are usually simple stationary targets. How much experience does your grandson have in working with others for such tasks?" responded Tsuruko, while asking her own query.

"The only one he's worked with is his sister Kanako. However, it took them a rather long time to figure out how to work with each other. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised at how easily he managed to work with Motoko. In fact, this has me convinced that we can skip the Omiai. If you agree, shall we just jump to the ceremony?"

"Ara! I like the way you think Hina-san. Let's get those two ready and call a priest."

"Wonderful! Shall we head over to the Hinata Sou, where we can finalize the arrangements?"

"Of course!"

* * *

As tired as he was, Keitaro thought that things ended all-right. True, not everything went according to plan, but in end it seemed that things would get back to normal. A side-effect of a demon possessing a human, is that after the connection was broken, the human won't remember what happened - unless they had a developed magical core. Which meant, that with the exception of the young girl, everyone else would forget the whole episode. Some would probably wonder why their memories appeared to be blank - and yet others would go about thinking it was some government-backed conspiracy theory. But, it would pass and things would settle down.

It was a relief to see his grandmother approach him. Keitaro was about to greet her when she snapped at him, "Keitaro! Keep quiet and follow me. We are heading back to the Hinata Sou immediately!"

Keitaro blinked a few times on hearing that. Most odd. Why would grandma Hina be mad at him? It didn't make sense. She then continued, "It seems that you just rescued Shinobu. She's the daughter of an old friend of mine, Maehara-san here." Grandma Hina then pointed to Maehara-san hugging her daughter.

Then pointing to the elder Aoyama woman, she continued, "And this is Tsuruko Aoyama. The current head of the Aoyama clan and a grandmaster of the Shinmei-ryu style of kenjutsu. The other girl is her younger sister, Motoko. They are all our guests and I need you back to help me make preparations!"

Knowing that he was supposed to keep quiet, Keitaro just nodded. He did wonder though, why so many people were visiting them. It was as he listened to the conversation between Tsuruko and Motoko that realization dawned.

* * *

Tsuruko came up and held out her hand to Motoko. She in turn, accepted and rose to her feet.

"Motoko, that was a most excellent performance. I am so proud of you right now! And we have some good news too. The search is over! We are now heading towards Hina-san's residence to finalize preparations." Tsuruko said.

"Wha … Aneue?" began Motoko, before Tsuruko signaled her to keep quiet. "Ano ... Please don't ruin a good impression imouto! Just keep quiet and follow me."

As they walked away, Motoko glanced at the glasses-boy. It looked like he was confused as well. He looked back at her and blinked. They both then followed their guardians without saying a word. But both of them had the exact same thought on their minds,

"That was my Omiai meeting?"

* * *

_Coming Up Next "How it begins"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	4. How it begins

**DISCLAIMER:** Characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes_

This was an annoying chapter to write. My biggest problem was in the dialog that appears before the halfway point. I was interrupted soo many times that after 4 days of it, I decided to just write the conversation with whatever came to my mind without any consideration to the flow of things. The result was that the part was finally finished, but it took me a lot of edits to bring it in line with the rest of the story.

Some japanese traditions are mentioned in this chapter and I will confess that my ONLY source has been the internet. It was fun researching it out and even more amusing writing about it. I hope you enjoy the story at least as much as I did writing it.

I'm on vacation now and hopefully, that means I'll get more free time to pump out more chapters. Out of curiosity my family had a peek at my fanfic (they didn't understand what it was all about) and I was really proud when my brother commented about the reviews I got. He said and I quote, "You have migrated into professional writing". To all those who reviewed, thanks A LOT! It's such wonderful feedback that gets me motivated to write!

I always respond to signed reviews. So if you want to hear back from me, just login and review!

Most importantly, I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to **Without Remorse & rukia8492** from TFF for beta-reading this chapter. Honestly, I was (still am) surprised with how many mistakes were found. Could you believe that I wrote "read" at a point instead of "red" ? rukia caught that and more, so the extra quality that this chapter has over the rest can be attributed to their efforts.

_-chronodekar_

(23/June/2012)

_**Reading Recommendation:**_  
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* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 04)

_How it begins_

* * *

Shinobu opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. A circular tube light hung from a spinning fan. It wasn't spinning at top speed, but a comfortable breeze was blowing. As she began to sit up, she felt a familiar and comfortable presence nearby. Then she was enveloped in a warm hug.

"Oh, my darling cupcake! I'm so glad that you're safe!" exclaimed mama as she patted her back.

It felt nice to be hugged by mama. In fact, it felt like months. Why was that? Ah, her mama's scent was so comforting! Shinobu smiled as she returned the hug. Her hands didn't go all the way round mama's back, but she reached out as much as she could. She managed to cover her sides, though.

Shinobu slowly thought back to what happened to her. It was a bit hazy, but the memory was slowing returning to her. Ah, yes! She was in the park … running from the chasers … trapped in a corner .. a young man came and rescued her … she was possessed by a demon … and … oh right!

She died.

The afterlife wasn't so bad. At least her mother was with her. No, wait! That didn't sound right. Something was off with that explanation. What could it be..?

Let's see … if she had died and passed on, that would mean the young man had exorcised the demon. Ok, so far so good. It was so nice being held by mama like this. Wonderful that she came to see her. Oh! ... wait .. a … minute. Why was mama with her? It didn't make sense. Or at least, the facts didn't seem to fit. Unless ... she was missing something. That was probably it! But what could it be? Hmm... people come to the afterlife only … _after_ ... their life was gone ... right? Which would mean that mama had passed on. Things were slowly beginning to make sense again.

_Mama had died as well ! _Shinobu was happy that she figured it out.

And then came to the horrible realization. Mama had died too. Mama didn't feel sick. At least, Shinobu couldn't tell from the hug. Which led to the next question. Why? It didn't take Shinobu too long to figure that one out.

Mama had decided to follow her daughter!

Shinobu was touched. She had such a loving mama! Oh, but what would papa say? Did he die too?

Around this point mama disengaged the hug and had stepped over to the door. She called out to someone and Shinobu heard footsteps coming closer.

Tears were beginning to form over her eyes. She couldn't help herself ! Mama had decided to take the ultimate sacrifice to follow her. What could she possibly do to show her appreciation? As a daughter, Shinobu was in a fix. It was a child's responsibility, to return her parents affections, but what was there to do? Baking another cake could not possibly match up to her mama's deed and … _this was soo hard! _She was beginning to get a headache too!

Perhaps she could die again? As Shinobu was pondering this possibility, the young man who rescued her came into the room.

Wait … what was he doing here?

"Ah, Shinobu-chan! It's good to see you awake. I was a bit worried when you fainted, but fortunately, your mother arrived immediately after. How do you feel?", the young man asked as he sat down in front of her.

It appeared that mama knew the young man. She was sitting next to him and looking at Shinobu. Oh .. they were waiting for her reply!

"I .. um, .. I'm fine." she replied with a shaking voice.

"I hope that the after-effects of the possession will fade soon. Do you feel weird or anything, cupcake?" mama asked with a slightly worried and curious expression on her face.

"I .. think so." replied Shinobu. She then began to raise her arms and look over herself. As she twisted herself to look at her back she continued, "Things look alright to me, mama."

Settling herself more comfortably on the futon Shinobu decided to face mama and ask the question that was troubling her the most. … and to a good extent, was getting really _really_ worried what the answer would be like.

"Umm... Mama? Can I ask why are you here?"

Mama blinked at that. Then again. "Wh-what do you mean, cupcake? You were involved in a rather … difficult situation and I would be a very poor mama if I didn't rush over, now would I?" she replied back.

"And him?" Shinobu asked pointing to the young man sitting across her.

That seemed to bother the young man a bit. It looked like he was in an awkward position. With an odd expression on his face he replied, "Umm... I was concerned about you. If my presence bothers you I'll leave."

He was getting up to leave when Shinobu spoke back, "Oh no! Please don't. I didn't mean it like that. Sorry if you misunderstood!" she then gave him a small bow.

"Then, what do you mean?" the young man asked settling back down.

Facing mama again, Shinobu replied, "Well mama, this is the afterlife isn't it? I was wondering why he died? I mean, I'm happy to see you again, but it seems … a bit sad that you died to come and see me here." she had a small blush as she spoke and didn't really look up, but was instead shyly looking at the floor as she spoke.

Which was unfortunate, as if Shinobu had looked up she would have noticed the perplexed expression on the young man's face and and the facepalm her mama just had.

* * *

Keitaro grew concerned. He thought back to what he knew about demons. On the simple end of things were what happened to people who did not have magical cores. They would simply wake up with a gap in their memories. Eventually though, their natural essences would fill in that gap and they wouldn't even think of the event/encounter. It wasn't like some artificial manipulation where the "memory gap" would be replaced with false memories, but rather the person wouldn't think about the "missing" section at all. True, some exceptions were always there but that didn't seem to be the case here.

For one thing Shinobu _had_ a magical core. It wasn't powerful and neither was it dangerous, but it was there. Now that Keitaro was thinking about it, he had begun to actively analyze the magical signatures in the room. He noticed that the elder Maehara-san did have a good magical core. From what he could tell, it appeared that she was trying to calm her daughter with it. Perhaps she would share the technique with him later?

Still, now wasn't the time to be pondering about such things. The more important concern was that Shinobu seemed to be hallucinating. Could demons do that? Affect the victim even after they were banished? It shouldn't be possible, but there it was, right in front of him too! Or .. did he botch up the exorcism? It was very unlikely, as even Grandma mentioned that it was cleanly done. Perhaps it had something to do with Shinobu's soul wavelength? Could it have misaligned with the body? That would result in a feeling of dreaming - as if you were outside the body when you were not. Perhaps that was why Shinobu thought that she was dead? Or maybe …

While Keitaro was running different scenarios over in his head, the elder Maehara-san gave a long sigh. She looked towards her daughter. Shinobu was looking perplexed. That was understandable. But … _somehow this was just like her!_ Maehara-san put her right hand under her shirt and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. Shinobu grimaced when she saw it and closed her eyes.

Maehara-san pulled her hand back and bopped her daughter on the head with it. It wasn't meant to cause pain, but rather to ensure that Shinobu wouldn't doze off during her explanation.

"You are NOT dead Shinobu!" exclaimed Maehara-san. She put the newspaper away. Rolling her left hand into a fist she gave her daughter a light noogie on the head. "If you were, would you feel _this?_"

"Ouch! Mama, please stop!" cried out Shinobu, bringing her hands to her head. She looked up with a classic puppy-dog expression in her eyes. Keitaro idly wondered if he could keep her as a pet. Her mother stopped and Shinobu brought her hands up to rub her head a bit. Maehara-san continued with her explanation.

"The short version of the story, is that you were nearly possessed by a demon. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Keitaro," Maehara-san then pointed to the young man near her. "And Motoko, who is a few rooms away, you were saved. It was late and Granny Hina, Keitaro's grandmother invited us to her house for dinner. It's now past 7pm and I think we should all move off to the dining room for our meal, won't you agree?"

Shinobu knew when her mother spoke in that tone. It wasn't really a question. She nodded her head, indicating that she would obediently follow her mother.

"DING-DONG!" a loud and old doorbell rang from somewhere.

Keitaro got up, "Ah! That must be the ramen that was ordered. I'll go and get it. Maehara-san, please excuse me, I'll meet up with you in the main room." He then walked out of the room Shinobu was resting in.

Mother and daughter got up after he left. Maehara-san gave her daughter one more hug and said to her, "You must be feeling hungry after that horrible experience! There is plenty of food ordered and the people here are very good friends of mine. Don't worry too much about being polite. Just eat to your heart's content, alright cupcake?"

Smiling and feeling a bit more relieved at the situation Shinobu replied, "Yes mama."

* * *

Keitaro considered himself to be a good chef. He enjoyed cooking and was popular among those who knew him. However, to be good at something is to also know when to quit. Or in tonight's case, when not to attempt. It was late by the time their group got back to the Hinata Tea house and the first thing Grandma did was to set up the young girl, who was introduced as Shinobu Maehara in one of the spare bedrooms. Her mother stayed with her. Then, Grandma took the other two guests and took them to the front counter. Or rather, just sat with them at one of the better tables in their Tea house.

Unlike the Inn, the Hinata Tea house hadn't been abandoned. Even after grandmother Hina left the Inn, his aunt, Haruka had stayed behind. She ran a well oiled Tea establishment and it wasn't much trouble for Grandma to take over after she married and left. While Grandma did reduce the number of items on the menu as well as limit the hours of the Tea house to evening hours, her cooking was popular enough to attract a sizeable crowd. Officially, it was registered as a commercial establishment. In actual practice, the rates were so low that all the profits went to paying for upkeep, things like electricity and water. As well as paying the odd student who would stay around every Sunday and clean up the place. There weren't any regular workers. The Hinata Tea house, under grandmother Hina's management had gained a reputation in the nearby school as a place where any student could earn a little money for cleaning up a small Tea house.

It wasn't as if the head of the Urashima Clan needed money. She mostly kept the place running as an excuse to gather the local gossip as well as to engage in social activities.

Tonight it seemed like grandmother Hina would be discussing Keitaro's marriage prospects. Though, considering her behaviour, it was even more likely that they were finalizing things. Instead of being invited to the discussions Keitaro was told to prepare dinner.

Which was what led him to order a home delivery from a nearby restaurant. Dinner was expected soon, and considering how much time was left, Keitaro wasn't confident in his abilities to prepare the table by himself. Oh sure, he could have gone with "instant" food, but considering that it was his potential life partner at the table, may as well try and make a good impression, right?

The food may not have been his, but the table layout was. After accepting the food from the delivery-boy Keitaro went about transferring it to their better cutlery. Then it was a matter of arranging the plates, spoons, chopsticks … etc. It took him about 8 mins to set the table. After he finished the final adjustments, Keitaro went to the front counter to call everyone.

It surprised him that no one was talking. If anything, grandmother Hina and the older woman across her were just sitting at a table resting. And bokken-girl was looking nervous. Understandable. Keitaro was feeling a bit apprehensive about what was to come too.

"Grandma, the table's set and we can all eat now!"

* * *

After everyone was settled at the table, grandmother Hina brought her right hand to her mouth and coughed once. It got everyone's attention.

"Good evening all! It's not been the best of days for some of us," started grandmother Hina looking in Shinobu's direction. Then turning back to the others, "But I'm sure we can still learn a lot from our experiences today. I started my day planning to meet an old friend and ended up with more than I could have hoped for!" She then turned to Shinobu, "Little one, I'm sure you must be famished after your ordeal earlier today. Please disregard your table manners and start eating. It's best to recover your strength as early as possible, and I'm afraid that our pre-dinner talk might be long."

Grateful for the offer, Shinobu started scooping some of the ramen onto her plate. It was a bit awkward being watched by everyone at the table, but after a bit of prodding from her mother, she started eating. After watching her take her first bite, grandmother Hina turned to the two other youngsters at the table.

"That was a wonderful job you two did. I'm proud of you both. In fact, it was after watching that little display that Tsuruko-san and I decided to finalize the arrangement. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, aren't I? While you could probably guess, let us have the formal introductions done with right now." Grandmother Hina then turned and waved a hand towards Keitaro.

"This is my grandson, Keitaro Urashima. He's 20 years old and has been living in London for the past few years. He was doing a 4-year university course at the University of London (UOL) which, due of our family situation we had to shift to a dual-degree program. That means he'll be here in Japan for the next 2 years studying at another university that UOL has a tie-up with."

Grandmother Hina then paused to take a gulp of water. Shinobu continued eating, but would occasionally look up to hear what was being said. She didn't understand all of it, but it would be rude to just ignore them - even if she did have permission. It just wasn't in her nature!

Grandmother Hina then waved her hand to face Maehara-san.

"This is an old friend of mine, Maehara-san. And the little one enjoying the ramen is her cute daughter, Shinobu-chan." Hearing that, Shinobu blushed a little. She paused eating and tilted her head up to look at everyone. Grandmother Hina continued, "I asked Maehara-san to help me with searching a bride for you Keitaro and she led me to meet Tsuruko-san here." Grandmother Hina then pointed towards Tsuruko sitting across the table.

"Maehara-san is a well-known matchmaker. She's behind multiple marriages around the country and somehow knows exactly who to pair with who. Though, judging from today's events, it appears that her daughter is picking up some of those skills and is actually capable of getting potential partners to work together. Most commendable Shinobu!" Grandmother Hina then smiled at Shinobu, who bowed her head and began to blush a bit more.

The comment got Tsuruko and Maehara-san to chuckle a bit. Shinobu's mother then spoke up, "Please Hinata-san, you are embarrassing my daughter! And I think she's had enough attention from strangers for one day. Besides, shouldn't you continue with the introductions?"

Grandmother Hina puffed up a bit. "Getting jealous of your own daughter already? A bit too early, don't you think? ... Dear me, what is the world coming to?" she sighed after saying that. Then she pointed to Tsuruko, "This is Tsuruko Aoyama. The current head of the Aoyama clan and grandmaster of their own style of kenjutsu. We've actually met many years before, but have been out of touch. Umm... Tsuruko-san, would you please finish the introductions?"

Tsuruko Aoyama smiled from her position at the table. She then turned her head to face Keitaro and waved her hand in Motoko's direction. "This is my younger sister Motoko Aoyama. She's a master in our Shinmei-ryu style and got her rank a few months ago. Not yet a grandmaster, but in a few more years should be at that level. She's currently preparing for the entrance exams and hopes to enter Toudai next year." introduced Tsuruko.

Not really knowing what to say in the current situation, Keitaro and Motoko just looked at each other. Then, realizing that they were staring, turned their eyes back to their respective guardians. Amused at the interaction, Grandmother Hina decided to jump into the heart of why they were together.

"I am pleased to announce that we've decided that the two of you will get married to each other! What remains now is finalizing the details of how the arrangement will be handled." Grandmother Hina announced glancing over everyone seated at the table.

Tsuruko decided to chime in, "Ano … most of the details have already been discussed earlier this afternoon, but for the sake of our wards, it would be best to run over them again. Hmm... perhaps you should start explaining your circumstances first Hina-san?" The last part was directed at grandmother Hina.

Closing her eyes and taking a solemn pose, grandmother Hina began to explain, "The Urashima clan has been in charge of these lands for generations. The focal point being the hot springs located in the Inn further up ahead. I don't really want to go into the details tonight as it would probably mean taking more time than we have, but the crux of the matter is that the spring needs to be cared for by a couple. That requirement was broken after my husband passed away, thus our need for Keitaro to be married. We require that Motoko get familiar with these lands and be able to call it home."

Tsuruko had a thoughtful expression on her face as she asked, "Will that mean she'll need to stay here for the rest of her life?"

Grandmother Hina smiled as she replied, "That's not necessary. It would be too troublesome for anyone to do that, especially in this day and age. How do you think our family has been travelling around if it were the case? No, the only real need is that she should be able to call this place home. Somewhere she can come to rest. The nest, as it were. As far as physical proximity is concerned, there is an old story of a pair of our ancestors who spent nearly 20 years taking care of the place before passing it on, but in actual practise they only spent 6 months here. It was during one of the demon wars and they travelled a lot."

Tsuruko hummed a bit and spoke back, "That should not be a problem for us. One of our concerns was the the groom shouldn't be a coward. Keitaro has demonstrated himself enough to satisfy me. On the other hand, we would wish that Motoko be allowed to complete her education."

Grandmother Hina replied back, "That wouldn't be an issue. We most certainly have funds to cover such details for any family member - "

At this point Keitaro interrupted the conversation. "Excuse me Grandma, but I would like to have a say here?" He was polite, but firm.

Grandmother Hina raised one of her eyebrows as she looked over at Keitaro, "Hmm.. what is it grandson? You are not impotent or anything are you? Because now would be a very bad time to mention such things ... "

Frowning he looked over at his grandmother and replied, "Ha-Ha, very funny Grandma." His tone indicated that he was more annoyed than amused. He then continued facing everyone at the table in general, "Quite frankly, don't you think we are moving a bit too fast here?"

It was Tsuruko who replied, "What do you mean Keitaro? Do you mean to imply that you do not wish to marry my sister? Is she not up to your standards?" The last part was said with a small warning tone.

Keitaro groaned as he brought his hand to his face. He then turned towards Motoko and addressed her with a small bow, "Aoyama-san, forgive me for being blunt, but please do not misunderstand my lack of enthusiasm to be some kind of rejection towards you. If anything, I find you to be a very attractive woman."

Motoko blushed a bit when she heard that. Keitaro then turned towards her sister Tsuruko, "However, I question if that is enough. To be blunt, I don't know much about her. And I highly doubt if she knows much about me either."

Keitaro then turned towards his grandmother and continued, "Grandma, from where I stand the **only** thing that differentiates Motoko Aoyama from another random swordmaster off the street is your recommendation. Don't get me wrong - your opinion matters, _a lot_. And especially considering your advice, I'm willing to try this out. But that's as far as I'm willing to go right now."

Taking a deep breath Keitaro turned to face Tsuruko before he continued, "It would not be fair to your side to let this discussion proceed without letting that out. I have a family responsibility to inherit and take care of this property and I intend to see it through. Since it means finding my life-partner, that is what I will do. Anyone Grandma recommends is someone I'm willing to try."

Keitaro wore a serious look while he said that. He then made a small grimace with his mouth before saying, "And I believe marriage to be a bigger commitment than _trying_. Divorce is **NOT** an option."

Tsuruko raised one of her eyebrows when she heard that. She then replied, "Well, at least I won't need to worry about you tossing my sister out when you're finished with her. Not that I ever expected an Urashima to consider the option, but it's good to be reassured. Now, Keitaro let me understand this straight - your only interest in this arrangement is to fulfil your family obligations? I mean, as a young man don't you have any desires of your own? Perhaps even to start a family?"

That felt like an awkward question to answer. But, Keitaro realized that, if anyone should question his motives, she would be justified in asking. He looked towards Shinobu who had finished eating and was sleeping on her mother's shoulder. He envied her - at least young children didn't need to worry about complicated family affairs!

Tsuruko's question however, was a bit tricky to answer. On one hand it was personal and he wasn't really comfortable talking to people about it, while on the other hand Grandma trusted her. Still, he could be vague about how he answered it. In the end, he decided that perhaps being direct about things would settle the matter.

Even if the decision was made, it was still more than a bit embarrassing to admit. Keitaro looked sideways to the wall, brought up his right hand to cover half his face below the nose and answered, "If that is your way of asking if I've had wet dreams, then the answer is yes." He then paused.

Tsuruko and Motoko blushed and looked everywhere except at Keitaro. Then soon settled for looking at each other, though Motoko opted to stare at her lap after that. Maehara-san opted to bring her hand to her face and gasp instead. Grandmother Hina executed a perfect facepalm.

Not realizing the faux-pas he just made Keitaro continued, "However, a relationship wasn't something I planned to start until graduation was over. So, I suppose to answer the former question, all I'm interested in right now is fulfilling my family obligations."

Tsuruko had an odd expression on her face and turned towards grandmother Hina, "Ano … you have a most honest grandson Hina-san! Hmm..."

Having been left out of the conversation thus far, Motoko decided to chime in. She looked towards Keitaro and spoke, "At least our situations are similar enough. I'm here out of responsibility as well. It's traditional for Aoyama women to get married, or at least, be spoken for around my age."

She then turned towards her sister and said, "Responsibilities aside, I agree with him Aneue. I hardly know anything about Urashima-san, other than the fact that he's good with exorcisms. And this is the first time we've even spoken with each other."

Tsuruko sighed and faced grandmother Hina, "It looks like we're in a fix here. Ano ... things would be so much simpler if we were neighbours, but that's impossible. And I most certainly can't leave Motoko alone here in Tokyo either. That would be too inappropriate."

"Why not have her stay here, at the Urashima estate? If I understand things right, she can continue her training or education here as well and it would give her the opportunity to familiarize with the area." asked grandmother Hina.

"Not to make accusations Hina-san, but it would be most inappropriate for a young girl of Motoko's age to stay under the same roof as a young man for a long period of time. A week or so would be all-right, and I can see the benefits of what you are offering; but still, one must conform to social norms as well, right? If nothing else, I do not want unwanted rumors to start spreading about my sister." replied Tsuruko.

Growing a small smirk grandmother Hina responded, "What if they were engaged, instead?"

Tsuruko's eyes widened when she heard that. After thinking and nodding to herself she replied, "Yes, that would work out well. So when should we hold the wedding then?"

"What about … four months from now? That should be more than enough time for our wards to get to know each other." suggested grandmother Hina.

Before Tsuruko could reply, Keitaro interrupted, "If I may request, can we have it a year or so from now instead? That is, if we do decide to go through with the wedding."

Tsuruko blinked and questioned him in reply, "Why would you need that much time? Are you indecisive or something?"

Keitaro closed his eyes, grateful that his suggestion was at least being taken into consideration. He then looked up towards his grandmother and replied, "It's not for me, but this is the kind of event that Kanako would enjoy. Four months from now would be right in the middle of her academic calendar and I'd rather time the wedding to match her annual break instead."

Curious, Tsuruko asked Keitaro, "Who is Kanako?"

It was grandmother Hina who replied, "Kanako Urashima is his younger sister. She's in London right now. And I suppose my grandson does have a point. There is still the possibility that the two of them might not want to go through with the wedding. Though, I sincerely hope that it wouldn't come to that..." she trailed off with a warning tone.

Keitaro subtly nodded that he got the hint.

Tsuruko then suggested, "Why not give them both four months in each other's company? It's near the end of February now. We can confirm near the beginning of July if we need to cancel the engagement or not."

Grandmother Hina grew thoughtful as she considered the proposal. She responded, "That sounds sensible. And if we assume that the marriage would be held in about year's time from today, it would give us plenty of time to organize the wedding ceremony."

Satisfied Tsuruko turned to face her younger sister and asked, "Motoko, how do you feel? Think you can handle being engaged to Keitaro for at least four months and live with him for that duration?"

Motoko hummed and thought about the question for a bit before replying, "I think I can handle that. We'll need to pack my things from home and bring them here, but for the most part, I think it shouldn't be a problem."

Grandmother Hina clapped her hands once on hearing that and exclaimed, "Excellent! Then it's all settled. Lets finish dinner and tuck in for the night. This Tea House wasn't built for guests, but I think we can pull out some futons and get everyone comfortable."

Dinner proceeded well enough. The Maehara's accepted grandmother Hina's hospitality and left the next morning. Tsuruko however, declined to stay the night. She explained that their hotel was close by and that she didn't want to risk any bad luck by having Motoko sleep in the same house as her potential groom before the engagement was official. Motoko however suspected that her sister just wanted to return to the hotel to troll the staff for charging them so much.

As Motoko drifted off to sleep that night, she noted to herself that it was indeed an eventful day.

* * *

_**2 days later**_

Motoko was feeling very self-conscious. She was wearing a traditional kimono (formal japanese robe) that was decorated with Sakura petals. It was a mixture of white and red. She had her hair tied up, well oiled and set on the back of her head. She was seated at the head of a table that was neatly arranged for a proper ceremony. At first glance an ordinary person wouldn't think that she was seated in her hotel room, but for today's event, Tsuruko had arranged things with the hotel staff. She would be getting engaged today and it had been decided to hold an official Yuino ceremony.

As she waited Motoko decided to run through things in her head. She was very grateful that they had not decided to go through the old traditional Yuino ceremony! In olden times, a marriage was considered more of an event that joined two families together than just two people. As a result a lot of customs and traditions had grown around it. Motoko wasn't sure, but from what she remembered the traditional Yuino ceremony employed a trusted mediator who would be called the "Nakodo". The nakodo would first go to the groom's household and collect the engagement gifts. He (or she) would then come over to the bride's household to delivery said gifts. Upon arriving, he would be treated to a festive meal. Then, the nakodo would return to the groom's household and present them with the receipt of engagement acceptance. And of course, would again be treated to a festive meal.

It was a lot of trouble for something that could be arranged in a formal meeting. Which incidentally, they had. The traditional ceremony had a lot of formalities which Motoko was grateful that they were skipping. If nothing else, she was feeling hot under all the makeup she had put on as well as the silk kimono!

Maehara-san had agreed to play the role of Nakodo for them. As Motoko understood things, Shinobu would be tagging along with her. That reminded her - she had never spoken to Shinobu! They had dinner together once before, but it was hardly the atmosphere for small talk. Perhaps today would present a good opportunity? Motoko was curious about the girl whose life she helped save. For that matter, she didn't really know Maehara-san either. Aneue apparently knew her and trusted her judgement, but oddly enough, Motoko never got round to asking Tsuruko about their wedding broker.

The doorbell rang. Tsuruko got up from her position near Motoko to attend to it. As expected Maehara-san and Shinobu were waiting outside. They were both in formal wear. Maehara-san was wearing a dark green Homongi kimono and a dark blue Obi. Shinobu-chan was wearing a lighter variant of the same theme. They looked very much like a mother and daughter pair! Motoko found the sight sweet. She smiled and looked up to them as they approached.

As protocol, Maehara-san gave a small package to Tsuruko. She opened it to reveal a silver ring. The exterior of the ring was plain, but on the interior, if one looked closely enough one could see "MOTOKO" engraved inside. Tsuruko came near and Motoko raised her left hand. Her sister laid the ring over her ring finger. Showing the hand with the ring adorned, Motoko stood near her older sister. Maehara-san brought out an old polaroid camera and took a picture. After that it was onto lunch.

* * *

Motoko gave a long sigh as lunch ended. The main parts of the ceremony were over. At the moment, her elder sister Tsuruko and Maehara-san were at the other end of the room engaged in idle chit-chat. Motoko found herself next to Shinobu, who was fidgeting nervously.

She got the impression that Shinobu was a shy type of girl. The one who would try not to seek attention. If nothing else, Shinobu was being very silent! As these opinions began to form, Shinobu gave a small bow and spoke to Motoko in a small voice, "Umm... Mama told me that you also helped save my life the other day, so Thank you. I'm sorry that I couldn't do so sooner."

Smiling, Motoko brought her hands and pushed Shinobu to a more comfortable standing position, breaking her bow and replied, "Please do not worry about it so much. I am glad to see that you are all-right. Tell me, have you felt anything odd over the past few days since the incident?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. Even Keitaro-san asked me the same thing! You two are so alike, I'm sure that this will be a successful marriage! Er, umm... congratulations?"

"Thank you", replied Motoko, "but we aren't married just yet. And I think it's a bit too soon to tell."

Shinobu blushed a bit on realizing her mistake. Just then her mother called for her saying that it was time for them to leave.

The Maehara's went over to the Urashima residence where grandmother Hina and Keitaro were waiting for them. After presenting the photograph they were again treated to a wonderful dinner. With that, the Yuino ceremony was officially over.

* * *

_**3 days later**_

Keitaro was a nervous wreck. It was the BIG day. Motoko would officially come over to live with him. For the average warm-blooded male this would mean a lot of things. Make no mistake, he did have a healthy libido. As the date grew closer, he found his thoughts venture further into the MA-category. In no small part thanks to Tsuruko's questioning. Briefly, he wondered if it were a sign of things to come, the fact that he was already getting annoyed with his potential sister-in-law was a bit troubling.

However, he wasn't a fool either. Being engaged was a far cry from being married, though, one would naturally follow the other. Besides, he highly doubted if Motoko would want to jump into bed with him immediately, responsibilities or not. And if he thought about it hard enough, the rational part of him questioned if he were _really_ ready for what came after. Not the next morning, no, he was sure he could weather that just fine. It was the potential of what might come 9 months down the line that scared him.

Keitaro was absolutely **terrified** of babies. He got along well with them if they were asleep. The trouble was when they were awake. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason the little monsters were attracted to him. If he entered a room with a baby in it, unless the little critter's parents/close relatives were around, chances were they'd want to cling to him. It wasn't always this way though. For as long as he could remember, Keitaro got along well with children. He even liked holding and rocking cute little babies too!

Then came _that _day. It was about 5 or 7 years ago. He was in his early high school days and went with his grandmother to visit an old friend in a hospital's nursery. The friend was a nurse and was taking care newly born children. The procedure back then was that the hospital would keep newly born babies under observation for a week or two after birth to confirm that nothing was wrong with them. Obviously the mothers would be staying in one of the many patient rooms as well.

As part of the observations the staff would occasionally pick up the little ones to check their temperatures. Well, technically the staff were only required to use thermometers to do so, but most of the nurses found the prospect of cuddling a newborn too tempting to ignore. Surprisingly enough, the mothers approved. The general idea being that the more love a newborn is around, the better it was for them.

As part of his training in the magical arts, Keitaro had a encounter with a siren the day before the hospital visit. Siren's are a variety of bird monsters who have a unique repository of attacks. To his great pride, Keitaro was able to defend himself very well back then. However, the procedure left his magical core very weak and the usual recommendation is NOT to expose yourself to more danger until it heals itself. Surely a hospital visit wouldn't count as anything dangerous, would it?

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't. However, Keitaro wasn't just located anywhere in the hospital that day. He was right in the nursery where newly born children were kept! A well known fact is that newborns have innocent spiritual cores. As people grow they experience new things, do things they may regret and will soon lose their spiritual innocence. It is in this process that a person's magical core begins to form, if it does at all.

As a magi, Keitaro was sensitive to the different flows of energy in the world at large, and when you consider that he was recently involved in a tiring ordeal, he was especially sensitive that day in the nursery.

The result was that the tranquility of the newborns made him drop his defenses and without realizing it, he was especially vulnerable. As could be expected of such a situation, soon enough one of the little ones began to cry. A side-effect of being spiritually innocent is that you tend to be receptive to the soul wavelengths of others around you - obviously it would only work when you were awake. And wanting to help, you would want to spread the information to someone who would be better suited to assist. For a newborn child, magical core or not, this happens at the subconscious level - at least for humans.

For Keitaro who was especially sensitive that day, it felt like the spiritual equivalent of a perfectly normal person using a hearing aid to listen to an atomic meltdown while simultaneously being blinded by the sun - with no possibility to either close either your eyes or your ears.

Predictably, Keitaro went into shock. Fortunately his grandmother was nearby and had enough sense to figure out what went wrong. To the nurse on duty that day (fortunately, grandmother Hina's good acquaintance), it seemed that Keitaro fainted due to heat stroke - she didn't ask any questions. For Keitaro however, the event left a permanent scar on him. To this day, he's rather terrified to be near a baby. Young children however are perfectly fine company for him.

All this resulted in Keitaro growing up a bit different from other boys. Oh sure, he found women lustfully attractive. He even had a decent porn collection that he was proud of! However, while he enjoyed female company, he was never too enthusiastic to get involved in a relationship. Relationships had the strong possibility to lead to the bedroom and that had an even stronger possibility to lead to offspring - a situation he would rather avoid.

Unknown to him, his behaviour of staying "aloof" had earned him the reputation very similar to that of "the mysterious gentleman" among his female peers. They had at one point, even organized a small fan-club!

Understandably, Keitaro had more than one reason to be nervous - he just didn't know them all!

However, he did know that his fiancée would be coming over today evening and grandmother Hina had decided that they should spend the rest of their time in the Hinata Sou. Which meant that he had to spend the last 3 days dusting, cleaning and scrubbing the place. It hadn't been used in months and it wouldn't make a good impression to have Motoko do the cleaning as soon as she got here!

Personally, Keitaro wasn't satisfied with the way the past 3 days had gone. Early on, a power fuse blew somewhere and it took him a lot of time to find and fix it. Then came the issue with the furniture. They all had to be dusted and cleaned. He didn't have much time and he was sure that he missed plenty of spots between the corners.

And worst of all was the kitchen! Whatever food left there had degraded to unrecognizable levels. And getting rid of the insects. That was one of the worst parts of the experience! Damn cockroaches! He spent an entire day getting rid of them. It seemed that no matter what he did, the little vermin would just scurry back in through some other entrance! In the end, he took drastic measures - Keitaro set up a bounded field within the kitchen! Surprisingly, it worked like a charm. Now, as long as the food was left IN the kitchen, unless someone invited an insect (or any freeloader, for that matter) to enjoy the food, they wouldn't be able to enter!

In some ways, Keitaro felt that he was fortunate that the Inn was so close to the hot springs. One of the reasons why such fields aren't commonly used was because of the maintenance involved. It would usually depend on a lot of factors like the number of insects attempting to enter, how many of them are in the vicinity that need to be kept track of, the magical strength of the caster ...etc. It felt a bit like cheating, that he used some of the springs magical energies to build up his field, but in the end it was worth it! Keitaro had considered to construct similar fields around the entire Inn, but a brief review of his notes revealed that such a system would self-collapse under the strain it would be under.

Keitaro felt that risking the Inn over something so trivial wasn't worth the effort.

* * *

It was evening now and he was waiting near the bottom of the steps of the Hinata estate to welcome Tsuruko and more importantly, Motoko. It originally puzzled him why Tsuruko would insist that they stay at their hotel for another 3 days. The way Keitaro saw things, they could have very well come by a lot sooner. But, grandmother Hina had explained to him that Tsuruko was having trouble with the hotel management. Something about "not refunding their unused days". Keitaro didn't like wasting money and he felt it was a sound fiscal decision on Tsuruko's part to stay back. If nothing else, may as well get your money's worth out of it, right? Still, he wasn't complaining - it gave him more time to tidy up the Inn!

Soon enough a taxi pulled over and Motoko stepped out. She was wearing a simple white kimono over her chest while a red hakama was tied around her waist covering her legs. She appeared to be wearing white socks with wooden sandals. And she had her wooden bokken tied around her waist. Most importantly, she was also wearing the engagement ring that Keitaro had sent her. It sparkled in the evening sun.

Keitaro put on his best smile as he went to greet her, "Hello Motoko-san and welcome to the Hinata Sou!" he gave her a small bow of respect.

Motoko smiled and bowed in return, "Greetings Keitaro-sama. From now onwards I will be under your care. Please take care of me."

"The honor is mine." replied Keitaro.

Tsuruko finished paying the taxi and stepped up next to her sister. She smiled warmly at Keitaro and spoke, "Greetings Keitaro! Shall we head up now?"

Keitaro agreed and picking up the 2 pieces of luggage Motoko had with her, he led them up the stairs. Motoko looked back towards her sister who only nodded her head. She then turned back and followed her fiancé up the hill. Tsuruko trailed behind them carrying her travelling pack hung over her shoulder.

* * *

Motoko knew that she would be living in an Inn, but she wasn't expecting anything as grand as the Hinata Sou. Or more accurately, something that _used_ to be as grand as the Hinata Sou. In its prime, she supposed it would have been an impressive structure. As it was now, it resembled an old run down haunted house than anything else. She expressed her concerns with living in the structure.

"I'm really sorry about how it looks right now," apologized Keitaro still carrying Motoko's bags. "But no-one's maintained it for several months and as a result, it's become like this. On the other hand, I've been cleaning the interior and its a lot better on the inside. At least take a peek before you insist on returning to the Tea House, please?" begged Keitaro.

Leveling her eyes flat, Motoko looked at her new fiancé and decided that she might as well give him the benefit of a doubt. "All right..." she trailed off, wondering if this was his idea of a good impression.

She realized that she had made a mistake with her initial assumption as soon as she got inside. The main entrance was well set up. The rack where the footwear was to kept appeared to have been polished recently. Not to mention of the red carpet that was laid out in front of her! It wasn't a grand entranceway, but it was orderly (something she liked) and most importantly, neat. Keitaro then led the way to the sitting room. A large 50-inch LCD television was hung over the opposite wall. Some chairs and two sofas were arranged in front of it. A small table was placed in the center. The walls were mostly sparse with a few ornamental figures hung here and there, but as before, while not gaudy or striking, it was all neat. And Clean.

Next up, was the dining area. It wasn't a separate room, but connected to the sitting room. A partition could be adjusted to wall off the area, but if the eaters wanted, they could watch TV while they ate.

The kitchen was easily the most impressive and inspiring. Motoko couldn't describe it any other way. The plates were sparkling in the counter, ingredients were kept in bottles that were appropriately labelled and positioned along the wall. The sink was large and sparkling! Honestly, Motoko couldn't describe the kitchen any other way - _it was inspiring!_ She was seriously impressed.

Then she had another thought - was this a hint? Was her new fiancé one of those who felt that the women belonged in the kitchen? If nothing else, he knew that she was a swordmaster. Or was he trying to tell her that he expected her to do the cooking? What other reason could be there for the kitchen to feel so different compared to the rest of the house?

Motoko considered herself to be a decent cook. She couldn't make anything too extravagant, but basic meals were simple enough. Well, if she was supposed to be in the kitchen, perhaps she could convince Keitaro to do some other chore? He appeared to be skilled at cleaning if all that she had seen so far was any indication. Or did he do it because it was the first day? Motoko had heard some men were like that. They would work hard initially, but afterwards would turn lazy. She sincerely hoped that Keitaro wouldn't be such a person. She wasn't sure if she could handle four months, if it were the case!

By then they had reached the bedrooms. Keitaro pointed out 3 of them that were recently cleaned out. It appeared that he would be sleeping in the room marked out for the landlord. The furnishing in it also seemed to fit the theme. There were shelves with all sorts of books in the room, quite a few stationery items and to the side a small table and a large bed. It seemed a bit too big for just her fiancé and Motoko thought that she might need to fill in the gap … STOP! She decided not to think more on that matter. It was too early anyway and she didn't know him well enough! She tore her eyes away from the bed and left the room quickly.

It appeared that Keitaro expected them to sleep separately, which was why he had the other 2 rooms prepared. Tsuruko thanked him for his hospitality, but decided to sleep with Motoko. She didn't plan to stay around too long and was needed back in the Aoyama compound soon anyway. It seemed like a waste to occupy a room all to herself. At least, that's what she told Keitaro. Motoko was secretly relieved. It seemed that her sister wanted to spend some time talking with her later in the night.

After the brief tour was given - there was more to see, but it was late and they needed to get to sleep soon, they left the Inn to return to the Tea House. Grandmother Hina had prepared a dinner for them which they enjoyed. It was then time to return to the Inn and go to sleep.

* * *

Motoko was correct when she guessed that her elder sister wanted to talk with her. After they had switched off the lights and settled down Tsuruko spoke to her younger sister.

"Well, my imouto (younger sister), what do you think of your fiancé?"

"He seems polite and an overall nice person. At times, the way he positions himself makes me think that a small breeze would be enough to bring him down, but underneath that, I can feel a sense of responsibility. If nothing else, it seems that he went to a lot of trouble to clean up this place for our arrival."

"And he's done an adequate job of it too. I could nit-pick a few details out, but overall, I have to agree, the Inn is very different on the inside than the outside. Still, he's shown us a lot of courtesy and I think it would be best if you were to return the favor." suggested Tsuruko.

"What do you think I should do Aneue?" asked Motoko.

"Why don't you try preparing breakfast for everyone tomorrow? The kitchen here looks well stocked and I think you should be able to make something adequate. Afterwards, later in the day we can look over the grounds here and see if we can find some decent spot for you to practice your training."

Her sister would be concerned with her kendo skills; No surprise there! And perhaps breakfast would be a nice way to start repaying Keitaro for his hospitality thus far.

"I think I'll do that Aneue." replied Motoko before she turned over to sleep. Her elder sister soon followed her into dreamland.

* * *

Motoko woke up early the next morning and went to the kitchen. She was surprised to find her fiancé busy making breakfast instead! He looked up as she entered and greeted her. He waved over to the table that was in the kitchen and gestured her to have a seat. Motoko sat down, not knowing what else to do. She was feeling awkward. The idea to prepare breakfast for everyone just got thrown out, by her own fiancé no less!

Motoko took a look around the kitchen. It appeared that he was preparing Miso soup for breakfast as well as some ancillary tidbits. There were some containers with stuff that she didn't recognize, but they looked appealing. She then heard a soft "thud". Keitaro had just placed a cup of warm milk in front of her on the table.

"Arigatou (Thank you), Keitaro-sama." said Motoko before she started sipping her milk.

"Keitaro" replied back her fiancé.

"Excuse me?" asked a confused Motoko.

"Please call me Keitaro. We're supposed to be engaged aren't we? I'd rather drop formal titles and suffixes. Too stuffy for everyday conversation, all the more so since, I'd like to get to know you on a personal level instead. ... If you let me." Keitaro hesitated a bit before adding that last part.

"Only if you call me Motoko in return." responded Motoko.

"Gladly!" chirped Keitaro as he proceeded to make breakfast.

Motoko continued to watch him. He wasn't clumsy. In fact, it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. One moment he would be chopping vegetables and the the next he would turn to the stove to pick off some boiling water. A little later, he would busy washing something. Motoko knew that she wasn't an exceptionally good chef, but she knew superior talent when she saw it. As far as cooking was concerned, Keitaro had it in spades! In fact, it looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

While she drank her milk, Motoko decided to engage in some minor conversation with her fiancé. It turned out that a lot of his belongings were still in London and that his sister would be bringing them over. He seemed fond of his sister. Motoko wondered what kind of a girl she was. And would she be upset with her for 'stealing' her brother away from her? She had heard some girls were like that. In fact, right after Tsuruko had got married Motoko wasn't too fond of men. It lasted a few months, but she soon noticed how much better Tsuruko seemed to be and relented.

Thinking back, she felt a bit ashamed at her old behaviour. Attacking her sister's husband while he was asleep wasn't really a good way to bond with in-laws. Motoko had apologized later and was very grateful that both Tsuruko and her husband were forgiving of her. In fact, the incident caused her brother-in-law to ask Tsuruko for beginner lessons in their kendo style. Her sister was overjoyed with the request and Motoko seemed to get along better with the two of them afterwards.

Right now, she was hoping that this 'Kanako' wasn't like that. It was one of those rare times when Motoko wished that other people didn't emulate her behaviour. Or, to put things more accurately, emulate her _former_ behaviour.

Keitaro then asked her about her education plans. He knew that she was preparing for next year's entrance exams, but he wasn't sure which stream she would take. She replied that she wanted to become a lawyer. It turned out that Keitaro wanted to become an electrical designer. At the moment, he was waiting for his original university to send some papers over so that he could proceed with admissions in Japan. Then he asked her a question that she wasn't enthusiastic to answer.

"What about the more recent entrance exams? Did you attempt them?" he asked.

Motoko grimaced when she heard it and bend her head down in shame. She admitted in a small voice, "I'm sorry, but I didn't make it."

The kitchen seemed to become silent. Motoko thought she heard a small breeze blowing in from somewhere. It was aggravating! She hadn't known him for long, but Motoko found herself shivering .. a bit. What would he say? Was he disappointed that she had failed? Of course, he would be! Would he want to cancel the engagement? Who would want to keep a ronin around as a fiancée anyway? The next four months were going to be difficult! She tightened her lips and grew even more flustered. She held her breath waiting for him to start getting angry with her.

"Is getting into university really that important to you?" Keitaro asked instead.

The question caught Motoko off-guard. Surprised expression on her face she retorted, "Of course it is! What do you think I've been studying for then?" She stopped and took a moment to recover her breath.

"To satisfy your family? As I understand things, you are a pretty good swordsman on your own and don't really need a degree to get on with life. In fact, I've know another swordsman who cared of nothing but his blade and he IS a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. It just seems a bit odd to me that you would want to pursue a law degree, among all things." replied back Keitaro in a simple tone, trying not to aggravate his fiancée.

"I made a vow that I would get a degree. As for law, it's something that has interested me for a long time." responded back Motoko, in a much more civil voice.

"Hmmm..." trailed off Keitaro bringing his hand to his chin and began stroking it.

Motoko calmed down and closed her eyes. May as well accept his judgement. She should have mentioned it earlier, but it looked like her decision to become a ronin was going to complicate her life even more now.

Keitaro slammed both his hands face down on the table across from Motoko and looked at her. She opened her eyes and slowly looked up to see him with a serious expression on his face. She made a small gulp. It wasn't looking good.

"You have my full support, Motoko!" Keitaro exclaimed.

Motoko stared at him in shock. She just made that up herself, right? There was no way some … _male_ would just throw his support at her like that, right? They hardly even knew each other! Keitaro however seemed to continue,

"I'm not sure how you've been studying for the past year, but I'll ensure that you get admission into the finest preparatory school in the city! If you need any books, paper, notes or even pens just ask and I will arrange for it to be provided. I don't know if you will be able to do well enough for your favorite university to accept you, but I will do my best to ensure that you can get admitted into one of our nations finest centers of higher education! I give you my word on this Motoko, will you accept and let me help you?"

She didn't know what to say. Motoko wasn't the kind of kendoist to easily surprise, but this was a total shock to her. She blinked her eyes twice. Then she asked the first question that came to her mind, "Why?"

Keitaro slumped into a nearby chair on hearing that. Wearing an perplexed look on his face he questioned her back, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we barely know each other! Why would you want to go through so much trouble for me? I would have expected you to be angry … or even reject me on hearing what I just said." Motoko replied back, ending the last part in a meek voice.

Keitaro raised one of his eyebrows and replied back, "Ummm... we ARE affianced, aren't we?"

"But we just met! And you hardly even know what kind of a person I am. For all you know, I could be the village idiot!" argued back Motoko.

Keitaro gave a long sigh before he spoke, "For one thing Motoko, it takes a lot more intelligence than 'village idiot' to become as skilled as you are with exorcisms. True, I don't know how smart you are, but at worst, you'd be average and in that case, it's just a matter of a lot of hard work."

Keitaro poured a glass of water for himself before he continued, "And as for rejecting you … hmmm... honestly, the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I meant it when I said that I was willing to try out this arrangement, Motoko. I don't exactly have any 'undying love' for you right now or any such nonsense, but I do know that I'm supposed to try and get along with you. Entrance exams are difficult. They are hard for a very good reason, and it takes a lot to pass them. I would be a very poor fiancé if I were to reject you for something like that, now wouldn't I?"

Motoko wasn't sure what to say. She looked at Keitaro and made some odd movements with her head. Assuming that she wanted him to proceed, he continued,

"My offer is still open Motoko and as long as you are my fiancée it always will be. You can give me your answer later if you wish, but the earlier we get started searching for a good preparatory school, the better." concluded Keitaro.

So he was just helping her out of obligation? Well, at least he didn't reject her - that was a comforting sign. Still, he had a point; the sooner they started the better. And she had nothing to lose anyway. Taking a deep breath, Motoko bowed her head and answered, "I accept your help. Thank you Keitaro."

The breakfast that followed was the best Motoko ever had. Keitaro was most certainly a wonderful chef! Grandmother Hina had come up from the Tea House to check how they were doing and was satisfied that things were going smoothly. As they had planned last night, Motoko went with her sister to tour the grounds. Keitaro decided to be their guide. When he heard that they were looking for a clearing where they could practise kendo, he immediately led them through a small forest. The path would have been difficult for an average person to follow, but all 3 of them were no strangers to camping and thus made good headway. They reached a small clearing with a little waterfall and stream flowing nearby. Keitaro explained that it was part of the water that filled the hot springs.

Speaking of the hot springs, why hadn't he shown it to them yet? It seemed that it was still dirty and he wanted to surprise them when it was ready, so he had closed that area off. But the clearing he was currently showing them was fantastic! It was out of the way so they wouldn't cause damage to the Inn with a few stray attacks, but it was still near enough for them to head back if they needed to. Besides, it was tempting to bathe in the nearby stream. As Keitaro left, Tsuruko started doing warm up exercises.

As the day went by, Motoko found herself thinking that perhaps, she could get used to the new arrangement after all.

* * *

_Coming Up Next "Settling In"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	5. Settling in

**DISCLAIMER:** Characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes_

A problem I have with some fanfiction stories is that I can't remember the plot when a new chapter comes out. To address this issue, I've decided to add a small "story so far" section near the beginning, right before the real chapter starts. Obviously, I can't condense _everything_ that's happened so far, but hopefully a brief reminder will be enough for those who have already read the earlier chapters.

I'm seeing a lot of comments and advice about the magic and crossover elements that have been introduced and feel the need to clarify something. Frankly folks, what matters the most to me is _**the story**_. I don't really care too much about the other stuff. Originally, I planned this to be a Fate/Stay Night crossover, but after spending months (no joke!) trying to understand the mechanics of that universe, I just gave up.

I'm not overly enthusiastic about introducing "original characters", so instead I'll just liberally 'borrow' people from other fandoms and insert them in, as I see fit. Just because you recognize someone/something from another series, doesn't _necessarily_ mean anything. This story is intentionally listed this as just a "Love Hina" fanfic and I hope to keep it that way.

Speaking of classifications, you will notice that the story is currently listed as "Humor", which I think is very misleading. Does anyone have alternate suggestions? I'm thinking "Romance" and "Friendship" would fit better.

Finally, a big thanks to **Without Remorse, EagleCeres, rukia8492 & Salvador Perez ** from TFF for pointing out mistakes this chapter!

_-chronodekar  
_(29/June/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima, a young mage-in-training was pursuing his university education in London when he was called back home to Japan. He is to inherit his ancestral property, the Hinata Sou and in accordance with tradition has agreed to be engaged to Motoko Aoyama, a talented swordmaster who failed the entrance exams to enter Tokyo University. The two of them got engaged to each each other following a minor exorcism incident involving a young girl named Shinobu Maehara. Motoko decided to become a ronin and hopes to pass the entrance exams next year. She is now living at the Hinata Sou. Her elder sister, Tsuruko decided to move in with her for a temporary period of time.

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 05)

_Settling in_

* * *

The past few days passed away rather peacefully for the residents of the Hinata estate. The Inn, which was in bad need of cleaning and repairs; was finally getting back on its feet. Mostly thanks to the efforts put together by its three residents. Keitaro supervised all the repairs while the Aoyama sisters handled most of the cleaning. In fact, by the end of the first afternoon, it was all too obvious that grandmother Hina's grandson couldn't keep up with the way that Tsuruko and Motoko worked. Grandmother Hina guessed it was due to the practise they had while training. She didn't know all the details of their Shinmei-ryu school of martial arts, but she did know that beginners would often be tasked with cleaning the dojos they studied in.

It looked like all that training was bearing some fruit. She would never say that out loud, of course! Telling a swordsman, especially one who specialized in the Shinmei-ryu that their training paid off with their cleaning skills was just asking for trouble. Instead, she kept her thoughts to herself and admired their efforts. That wasn't to say that Keitaro was a slacker. On the contrary, he knew exactly what needed to be done and how to do it too! The problem was efficiency. It would take him 3 hours to finish cleaning up a room, but either Tsuruko or even Motoko could finish the same task in under 50 minutes.

Cleaning the place was one thing. But it wasn't the only job to do. There was also the electricity, wallpaper, plumbing … etc. And that was where her grandson shined! After all, he was doing a course in electrical design & engineering, so it was expected of him. And he came through brilliantly! He replaced many of the old light fixtures with more energy efficient CFLs. Or were they called LEDs? Grandmother Hina had trouble keeping track of all the acronyms young people threw around these days, and for her part, didn't care much for them anyway.

A light was a light, as she would say. And if one light shown more brighter while using less electricity, it was a _better_ light ! And cheaper electricity bills were the kind of things she definitely approved of.

Keitaro did all the cooking. At first, Tsuruko was against the idea of him just commandeering the kitchen and barring anyone else from cooking in there. She felt that it was a bit extreme of him to consider it a "sacrilege" if anyone else even attempted to boil water on the stove! However, a few meals later she was forced to change her mind. Once, could be called a fluke. And twice, luck. But to be able to prepare 3 square meals on a continuous basis for everyone without dropping the quality? Keitaro had _skill_. And she officially recognized Keitaro's sovereignty over the kitchen.

It wasn't like he forbade anyone from entering the kitchen. On the contrary, there was a table in there where they ate breakfast or snacks. Keitaro was very open and to some extent even seemed to encourage patrons to 'munch' food off his cooking ware before he officially served it. It was if anyone attempted to actually _cook_ in the kitchen that set him off on a tirade that would have had lesser men wishing for judgement day. Tsuruko found it a bit perplexing. Grandmother Hina, on the other hand just felt that it was Keitaro being, ... well Keitaro. There just wasn't any other way to express it!

For her part, she mostly stayed in the Tea House. Materials/tools needed to be bought and she handled all those needs. In the evenings, she would open the Tea House for business and start collecting the local gossip. She took great pride in announcing that her grandson was engaged. Considering how popular the Tea House was, the entire neighbourhood soon found out that the successor to the Hinata estate was not only back from abroad, but that he was also engaged to a traditional japanese beauty called Motoko Aoyama.

Grandmother Hina, contrary to what others thought, wasn't senile. She knew that the current situation wouldn't last forever. She couldn't keep a watch over Keitaro's shoulder all the time. Sooner or later he would need to step up and take full responsibility over the Hinata estate. And the faster that started, the better it would be! Most importantly, Grandmother Hina needed to leave. It had been a few months since her husband passed away, but the longer she stayed in the estate, the more she missed him. And it was beginning to take a toll on her health. 'Better to leave the nest and fly around a bit before coming back', was what she thought. And so, Grandmother Hina began making plans...

* * *

"I will be leaving this afternoon" announced Grandmother Hina while they were all having breakfast in the kitchen of the Hinata Inn.

There was a brief moment of silence while the rest of her audience processed that information.

It was Keitaro who spoke first, "Eh, … EH ?! But what about us Grandma? And where will you go?"

Grandmother Hina raised one of her eyebrows and looked at her grandson before questioning back, "And what about you? Don't tell me that you need me to change your bed sheets every morning. I thought we got rid of your bedwetting habit when you were around five."

A embarrassing blush began to creep up on his face while he retorted back, "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about Grandma! I'll spell it out for you - what about Motoko and me? Didn't you want to see us married?"

A small frown crawled up under grandmother Hina's nose as she replied, "Of course I want the two of you to get married! Why else do I think I went to all the trouble of finding her for you?"

Keitaro sighed as he brought a hand to his forehead. He then responded, "No, I mean, yes I **do** understand the trouble you went through, but … don't you need to stay here?"

Frown turning into a grimace she replied, "For what? Do I need to teach you what to do with a woman? I expected better from you grandson!"

That brought a light blush to Motoko's face and she turned away from facing her fiancé. Keitaro on the other hand exploded in a full red blush and sputtered back, "I .. er, no … that's … what I mean is..."

Executing a perfect facepalm, Grandmother Hina continued, "Keitaro, you won't be getting married for at least another 10 months! I don't have anything special I need to do here and it would be good for me to get some fresh air outside the country."

Curious Tsuruko asked, "And where are you planning to go, Hina-san?"

Turning to face her potential relative Grandmother Hina replied with a smile, "I think I'll go on a worldwide tour of hot springs! It will be fun to soak in different waters."

Tsuruko commented, "Ara! That sounds like fun. I wish you all the best !"

"Thank you. Oh, and Keitaro? Motoko? It need not be said, but after I leave, it will be your responsibility to take care of this estate." concluded Grandmother Hina.

Breakfast concluded quickly enough after that. After gathering and washing the plates, Keitaro joined the others to help his grandmother pack for the trip. It involved a bit of running around, especially to the store to buy this or that, but after lunch was over, Grandmother Hina waved goodbye to them and left in a taxi that Keitaro had called for her.

* * *

_**2 days later**_

Tsuruko Aoyama was upset as she entered the Hinata Inn. As per their routine, she practiced kendo with her sister early in the morning. Motoko had slipped up on one of the moves and she was now back in the clearing correcting herself. Though, that wasn't the reason why Tsuruko was upset. It was a bit _annoying_ yes, but that was to be expected. Swords mastership was not easy to attain and it was only with dedication could one achieve the impossible. In the back of her mind, she knew that there was a self-contradiction in that last thought, but at the moment she didn't care.

No, her immediate focus was her sister's finacé, Keitaro. He didn't seem even remotely inclined towards Motoko in any manner. Sure, he admitted that she was attractive, but other than that he didn't _do_ anything. On one hand, it was an assuring thought - he wasn't just another hormone consumed teenager who would bed with the first willing female he came across. Granted, Motoko was far from 'willing', but _even so! _

No lustful gazes, no side glances! He didn't even seem remotely affected by their underwear! Which, now that she thought about it, was probably a _very good_ thing. She recalled when she first noticed it ...

* * *

_**A few days ago**_

They had been staying at the Hinata Inn for some time and their dirty laundry had begun to pile up in their room. Motoko, naturally went to Grandmother Hina to ask what to do with them. She was then directed towards a large laundry basket kept near a rather large industrial-grade washing machine. Grandmother Hina had accompanied her at the time and just ordered her to dump all her clothes in. She then promptly walked out. Along the way, she explained that it was Keitaro who was in charge of the laundry and that he usually did it when there were sufficient clothes in the laundry basket to justify turning on the washing machine.

By then, it was too late for Motoko to object to a _male_ cleaning her clothes and ... she wasn't too sure if Grandmother Hina would appreciate her concerns. So, she naturally complained to Tsuruko. On questioning Grandmother Hina further, it turned out that Keitaro used to do his sister's laundry as well as his grandmother's. Simply put, he was familiar with female undergarments and wouldn't try 'anything' with them.

Tsuruko grew curious when she heard about it. Back in her household, it would be a huge effort just to get her own husband to gather her innerwear. He didn't have any problems with anything that was similar to male clothing such as blouses or the like, but anything which was (in his eyes) fully female, such as a skirt would cause him to stutter as he held the cloth. Tsuruko was stumped with his behaviour, because he never showed any such hesitation getting her out of said clothing! Even ironing said items caused him to stutter. Sure, he'd get the job done, but considering how long it would take, it simply became more practical for her to do the job instead.

In the end, Tsuruko just categorised it as usual male behaviour. What she didn't know, was that before their marriage her husband, like many males had turned to the internet for his hormonal needs. Oddly enough, unlike most males, he stumbled onto a website that specialized in female clothing fetishes. The experience left him a bit … jittery around said clothes. And to this day, he has never found the courage to talk to his wife about it.

Motoko also found Keitaro's behaviour curious. A _male _willingly doing laundry? It was unheard of! At least, among her circle of friends, it was a well known 'fact' that young men would steal the undergarments of pretty young women for their own … hormonal issues. It was thus clear to Motoko that there was some underlying hidden motive behind Keitaro's façade.

Which was how Tsuruko found herself next to her sister, covertly watching Keitaro clean their clothes. Motoko was convinced that, since she wasn't directly related to him, he would do something with her unmentionables, unlike the case with his sister/grandmother. Tsuruko on the other hand was more interested to see if he had any issues with holding female clothing in general.

It turned out, that Keitaro really didn't do anything out of the ordinary with their clothes. After the wash was over he hung them all out to dry and a few hours later, he came back to sort them out. When he picked up a dry female undergarment from the clothesline and brought it close to his face, Motoko nearly jumped out of their hiding spot ready to slash him with an air strike. Tsuruko on the other hand held her down, which was fortunate. It appeared that he was just interested in knowing the size of the cloth he was holding. After figuring it out, he dumped it into a separate pile. The process continued for all the clothes.

There wasn't much to watch really. He just continued to sort out the clothes and proceeded to iron them. Afterwards, he delivered the ironed clothes to their rooms. Tsuruko examined the piles he brought and found that he had mixed a few of Motoko's and her kimonos with each other, but overall, a job well done. She idly wondered if there was some way she could convince her own husband to do the same thing.

Motoko on the other hand was flummoxed. Keitaro didn't seem to be some kind of everyday hormone-driven teenager. It seemed that he genuinely wanted to try and get to know her. Or at least, to the point where a marriage would be feasible. If nothing else, it appeared that she didn't have to worry about him having any weird obsessions with her clothes.

* * *

_**Back to the present**_

Tsuruko on the other hand, _was_ upset that morning. It was good that Keitaro was behaving himself, but to not even show any kind of inclination towards Motoko? It baffled her. _A LOT_. She began to wonder if she needed to take a _proactive_ stance to get their relationship to proceed as she stepped into the kitchen.

And was greeted to the sight of Keitaro sitting next to a small pile of papers. It appeared that he was intently reading them one by one and discarding others. She looked over at some of the titles - Tokyo University, Aichi University, Fukushima University, Japan Women's University, Kansai University ... etc. They were all admission papers for new entrants!

"Keitaro, what are you doing? I thought that you were already admitted in college. And some of these obviously won't accept your application.." Tsuruko queried.

"Oh, good morning Tsuruko-san! No, these aren't for me. They are for Motoko. I promised her that I would help with her admissions and these are as good as any place to start. This is just the first batch. I'm expecting more colleges to mail me their details today evening." replied Keitaro as he shuffled some of the papers around.

Keitaro then blinked and looked up. With a puzzled expression on his face he looked at Tsuruko and asked, "Um .. where is Motoko?"

"She had some extra exercises she needed to finish, so I left first. In fact she should be here any minute now." replied Tsuruko.

And no sooner had she finished her sentence, did Motoko come in sniffing the air and asking, "MMMmm... are we having pancakes for breakfast today, Keitaro?"

Keitaro smiled as he always did whenever anyone praised his cooking, "Yes, Motoko. And they're almost ready! Just freshen yourself up and have a seat." he gestured towards a nearby chair as he replied.

As she realized that Keitaro was actually trying to help her sister, Tsuruko felt a small warm feeling grow within her, in spite of her doubts.

* * *

_**2 days later**_

Keitaro considered himself to be a responsible individual. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he was perfect, but to his personal credit, he didn't slip up too often. Though, it did happen from time to time.

This evening, he planned to fix some of the plumbing. The hot water heater was in need of repairs and after some modifications, he needed to test the device. The problem was that there were only 3 people who took baths and the heater was meant to accommodate at least 5. That meant he needed to dump some of the water that was heated. To protect himself, he covered his body with white towels. The reasoning being that even if some water escaped, the padding provided by the towels would protect him.

What he didn't expect was one of the valves to literally explode in his direction. It (fortunately) missed him, but tore out a part of the towels he was using to cover himself. This resulted in some really hot water being doused near his bare stomach and as with most people, Keitaro ran away screaming towards the nearest source of cold water - namely the bathrooms.

Unfortunately for him, Motoko had just finished a cold shower and was exiting said facilities. She was wearing a light blue bathrobe and a matching pair of slippers. She was drying her long hair with a pink towel when she noticed a white _thing_ running towards her screaming while flailing its hands. Motoko didn't know what the _thing _was, but it wasn't looking friendly. And if anything, it appeared to be on a collision course with her!

The technique she was practising that day, followed by the cold shower had dulled her senses. However, she didn't train to be the kind of warrior who gave up just because she was at a disadvantage! She quickly closed her eyes and extended her aura probes. It was obvious that the _thing _wasn't a monster. Which was a relief to her. Next was to determine what it was. A bit more probing and she realized that it was male! Could it be her fiancé, Keitaro? Unlikely. He had informed her that he would be doing repairs on the heater at the moment and that was on the other side of the Inn.

Thus the _thing _that was approaching her; and was now just a few feet in front must be some wayward pervert! Realizing that made Motoko angry. What was this _insignificant male_ doing at the Hinata Inn? Grinding her teeth, she took a battle stance. As soon as it came within striking distance, Motoko grabbed one of its arms and pushing her foot firmly to the ground, began to spin in a counterclockwise direction. The momentum with which the pervert had charged at her made the spin a lot easier. Three-fourths of the way into the spin, she bent herself forward and quickly raised her hand.

The result was that on the last quarter of the spin, she had begun to throw the _thing _into the air! As she lifted it off the ground, it rose up over her head. She let her grip go and it was flung vertically upwards.

The _thing _flew for about 2 feet before it started its descent. As it came down on top of Motoko, she got ready. She reached for her bokken (wooden sword) that was nearby and continued her spin. It gave her a lot more momentum and inertia. As the _thing _descended, she timed herself so that she struck it on its stomach just as it reached the ground.

WHACK!

Motoko watched with satisfaction as the _thing _was launched into the clearing where she held her morning practise. If she was the type to play baseball, she would have been inclined to run to first base. But as things were, she was a swordswoman and thus decided to simply stand there while admiring the arc the _thing _made as it flew.

It was fortunate that they were outside. Due to repairs the direct route to the bathrooms were cut off and the only way to reach them from the Inn was to step outside for a small walk. Motoko was on her way back to her room when the _thing _had begun to run towards her.

She idly made a note to herself to warn Keitaro about the perverts that seemed to hang around the area. Something must be done about them! As she watched the arc that was made, she noticed that, what appeared to be white towels slowly peel away from the _thing _to reveal who it was.

She was mortified to realize that it was her own fiancé whom she had just attacked!

With a horrified expression on her face, she ran towards the clearing. As she approached it, she heard the whistle Keitaro made as he flew down.

CRASH !

When she arrived, she noticed that he had the sense of mind to turn himself so that the towels would cushion his fall. He had fallen on his back and was lying on the ground unconscious. Motoko ran up to him and began shaking his shoulders.

"Keitaro, wake up, Please! Wake UUUPPP!" shouted Motoko to her grounded fiancé. Keitaro slowly made a small gurgling sound and wearily opened his left eye. He blinked it once and then he attempted to open his other eye.

* * *

Keitaro was rather disoriented as his senses returned. He first noticed that he was in the forest near the Inn. A few blinks later, he noticed that he was in the clearing where Tsuruko and Motoko practised their kendo every morning. The scratch marks on the surroundings were not hard to miss.

He then started to get a feel for his limbs and began to realize something. Motoko appeared to be holding onto his arms and was shaking him vigorously. She had her head drilling into his chest and was obviously distressed. Keitaro wondered why she was attempting to headbutt him. He then noticed that she was wearing a blue bathrobe.

Then he realized that his body was in pain. And the worst was his stomach, which not only felt like he had burns but also as if someone had hit him with an iron baseball bat.

With a pained voice he croaked, "Motoko, you can s-s-stop... I'm awake now!" She stopped shaking him and sat back a little. He couldn't see her clearly as there wasn't enough light, but it was obvious that she was distressed.

"Ow!" he said bringing a hand to his side. He then asked, "What happened?"

Motoko replied, "I mistook you for some thief or pervert and hit you."

She then closed her eyes and gave a deep bow bringing her head to the ground and stretching her hands in front of her. She then said, "I'm really sorry and I humbly beg for your forgiveness!"

Keitaro blinked twice and looked at his distressed fiancée. He then replied to her saying, "Eh, I should have given some warning myself. Ouch!" he grunted in pain before continuing, "It's not like I'm entirely innocent here. But still, could you please help me back to the Inn?"

Motoko sat up and nodded her head. Some dirt fell off her forehead. She then took his hand over her shoulder and walked back to the Inn with him.

* * *

_**Near the Inn**_

As they arrived near the Inn, they found Tsuruko waiting for them. A sour expression on her face, she asked, "What was all that commotion all about? Ara! Motoko, you haven't been blindly attacking Keitaro for no good reason, have you?"

Motoko grimaced a bit on hearing the accusation. Her sister had found her out! She shivered a bit thinking back to when Tsuruko got angry because she had attacked her brother-in-law. She was about to open her mouth when Keitaro interrupted and replied instead, "Ha, ha, that's a funny joke Tsuruko-san! You see there was an accident with the heater and I ended up crashing into the clearing in the forest. If it weren't for Motoko, I would still be stuck in there and who knows how much worse my condition would become?"

He coughed once before continuing, "Now if you will excuse us, I badly need to get to the first aid kit and treat myself."

Tsuruko nodded and stepped to the side allowing them to pass. Her face was expressionless as she watched them walk by.

* * *

_**Keitaro's bedroom**_

Motoko sat Keitaro in the center of his bedroom. She ran out, got some fresh towels, a pan of water and the first aid kit. She then proceeded to nurse him, by first washing the dirt off his wounds. He grunted while she did so, but said nothing else.

A small while later, the treatment was finished and Keitaro had bandages all over him. Knees bent, Motoko was sitting next to him and was closing up the first aid kit. She looked towards the door to the room. It was open and looked like Tsuruko wasn't around.

Very hesitant, she softly asked him, "Why?"

A crooked grin on his face and with an equally quiet voice he replied, "Granny is a strict taskmaster too."

Her eyes widened a bit on hearing that. There was nothing more to be said, so she just nodded her head and left the room, closing the door behind her. Keitaro soon drifted off to sleep.

As she got ready to sleep that night, Motoko was very thankful to Keitaro that her sister didn't punish her. She then wondered at his hidden request - to help him with his grandmother. He didn't save her because he liked her, but rather because he needed her against his grandmother's anger.

For some odd reason, Motoko had uneasy dreams that night.

* * *

_**A few days later**_

True to his word, Keitaro accompanied Motoko around the city while they searched for a good Preparatory school. Keitaro was dressed in blue jeans, had a black belt strapped on and was wearing a green T-shirt. He had white running shoes on over maroon socks. Motoko was wearing her usual white kendo-gi and red hakama. She also held her bokken at her side and was wearing traditional wooden footwear with white socks.

They took the metro rail and arrived at the first place. It was a large building whose one side was made of glass. As they got in, they felt a very studious atmosphere around them. Keitaro was reminded of the expression "pin drop silence". He was certain that if he tried hard enough, he would be able to hear the drop of his sweat as it fell. As the case was, the entranceway was air-conditioned, so there was no chance of any sweat forming, even if he tried.

They walked up to the front desk and asked the receptionist what the procedure for new applicants was. She was a lady in her late forties. Her hair had started turning white and she was dressed in a sleek business suit. She looked Motoko up and down before turning to Keitaro and asked, "And why is she here?"

Keitaro awkwardly replied, "Um... she's the one looking for admission."

The receptionist raised both her eyebrows on hearing that. "Seriously? I'm not a good judge of intelligence, but I don't think it will be easy for her to join us. You see, we have a rather hard evaluation test we need students to take before we admit them."

Motoko thought to herself, 'An evaluation test for private tutoring which trains students to write the entrance test that is needed to join college? Our education system is in a bad need of an overhaul...'

Keitaro on the other hand grimaced when he realized what the receptionist was trying to hint. Still, no need to give up just yet. He suggested Motoko to take the "evaluation test" and see what it got her. It took her about 30 mins to finish the test. Keitaro had to pay a separate fee for it. On their way out, the receptionist told them that they would be informed if she passed.

"How was the test?" Keitaro asked Motoko as soon as they left the building and had put some distance behind them.

"It wasn't too hard. Took me some time with the math section, but I think I did ok. Do you think they will accept me?" she replied and asked him back.

"We'll see. But it's risky to put all our eggs in the same basket. Let's try a few more places as well." he responded and they continued their trip.

* * *

_**Late afternoon**_

It was nearly 3pm by the time they finished visiting the different preparatory schools. Both Keitaro and Motoko were exhausted. They decided to stop by a small ramen shop for a late lunch.

Sitting across Keitaro, Motoko raised her hands in the air for a yawn. She exclaimed, "I'm soo tired! And some of those tests were hard too. I just hope I'll be able to study hard enough for Toudai this time!"

Stifling a yawn and failing, Keitaro replied, "It will depend on how much effort you put into it. And judging from what I've seen of you over the past few days, I think you have the drive to do it."

Motoko blinked and smiled at him in return. Keitaro smiled back. Their food soon came and they began to eat greedily.

Part way through his food Keitaro suddenly asked, "Motoko, is that the only thing you wear?" pointing to her traditional training outfit.

Motoko wore a confused expression on her face as she asked, "What do you mean? Surely you know that I have other sets as well?"

"No, I mean don't you wear anything other than your training outfit? You can easily pass for a shrine maiden around here." clarified Keitaro.

Sleepily she replied, "Actually, I do have other clothes, but they are all back in my room at the Aoyama compound. Aneue and I didn't plan to stay in the city for long, so all we brought were some formal dresses and our training outfits."

Motoko then gave Keitaro an impish smile, "Why are you asking? Do you want to see me in something else?"

Instead of answering, he brought his hand to his chin and gave a long "Hmmm..." with a contemplative look on his face.

Soon enough, they finished their meal. Keitaro paid the bill, left a tip and they departed the small ramen shop.

* * *

As soon as they got outside, Keitaro started walking with a determined stride. He gestured Motoko to follow him. Confused with the sudden change in mood, she complied. After all, he did accompany her to all those entrance coaching centers today, didn't he? They still had many more to visit, but she felt, it would be alright to indulge him in whatever fancy he seemed to take.

He led her across the street and down 2 turns. He then stopped. Turning to face her, he asked, "There is the usual path to take to our destination, but I know a shortcut. Can you trust me?"

Confused and now puzzled, she replied, "Umm.. O-Kay?" Keitaro nodded once in response.

He then led her down a small alley. Not really having anything better to do, she followed him. It was now about 10 mins since he started leading her around and she was beginning to get a bit annoyed.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" she asked.

"We're almost there. You'll know why when you see the place." he replied walking a bit faster.

At the next turn, she knew where she was. It was one of the city's red-light alleys. The kind of place where a young couple would go to satisfy their more carnal urges. Motoko was a bit hesitant and followed Keitaro a bit more slowly now.

"Umm... Keitaro, I'm not really sure about this..." she trailed off.

"Trust me, it will be FINE. You'll enjoy this, I'm sure! So, come ON!" he caught her hand and pulled her a bit faster as he led her deeper in.

Motoko grimaced. This was a den for perverts. And chances were, in her training outfit _someone_ probably knew her. Even if they didn't, there were too many people around. She couldn't start a fight here without involving innocents.

She began to wonder if this is how Keitaro wanted her. Was the reason he refrained himself at the Inn was because he had some fetish to do it in a hotel? Motoko had heard about such people and didn't know what to think of her fiancé anymore. For that matter did she want to go through with this? She wasn't sure and voiced her opinion.

"B-B-But, I'm not ready for this! It's too soon Keitaro!"

Not looking back, he continued walking even faster and spoke back, "Don't worry, there's really nothing you need to get ready for anyway!"

Motoko was most definitely worrying after hearing that. And it looked like some of the people they passed were looking at her in a weird way too. Perhaps she could subdue Keitaro when they got to a private room? THAT was something she could handle AND without much of a fuss too. Plan set, she decided that the best way forwards, was to get it over with and so decided to close her eyes and let Keitaro lead her.

She didn't have to bother, really. Barely 10 seconds after she closed her eyes, Keitaro stopped and announced in a proud voice, "We're here!"

Hesitantly, Motoko opened her eyes. She was relieved that they were out of the alley and in a more public street. She then looked ahead to where Keitaro was pointing to - it was a clothing department store. At least, it wasn't what she originally thought! Question of what they were doing aside she said in a relieved voice, "Oh, thank goodness! You had me worried back there."

Puzzled expression on his face, Keitaro turned towards Motoko and asked, "Worried? Over what...?" he trailed the question as he looked back the way they came. "Oh!" he said.

'At least he has the decency to blush!' thought Motoko as Keitaro glanced away to avoid looking at her.

* * *

_**Inside the department store**_

"So, what exactly are we doing in here?" asked Motoko while she stood in a large store between 2 racks of clothes.

"We're buying you some new clothes." replied Keitaro.

"But WHY? And like I said, I already have other clothes! It's just a matter of going back home to get them." she countered.

"True, but you don't have anything else NOW do you?" queried back Keitaro. He then continued, "Earlier, when we visited those preparatory schools some of the receptionists looked at you in an odd way when your back was turned. And I _think _it's because of how you dress. We need to change that first impression they all seem to get, so we're in here. And I refuse to let you leave in your training outfit. We still have a few more places we need to visit today and we might as well give it our best shot!"

Motoko thought about it for a moment. It was true that she had noticed some odd looks headed her way, but she couldn't figure out why. Keitaro might be right - it could be her dress. She had barely nodded her head in agreement when her fiancé grabbed her by her shoulders and pushed her towards one of the store attendants.

He held her up like she was on display and announced to the young female attendant, "This is my fiancée. She left most of her outgoing clothes back home and this is all she has. Can you help her? I have enough of a budget for about 2 .. hmm ... maybe 3 outfits. And perhaps a few accessories too. Oh! She also needs a new pair of shoes and footwear as well."

The attendant's eyes lit up when she heard that! It wasn't too often that a customer would walk in and demand a mini-wardrobe. And his fiancée appeared to be someone right out of a temple. 'Poor thing, probably out in the city for the first time! Better stick to conservative dresses.' she thought. She then took Motoko from Keitaro's hands and spun her around. First left, then right. She then looked her up and down.

With a glint in her eyes, she replied to Keitaro, "Don't worry sir, you came to the right place! If you two would please follow me …" she trailed off as she led them further into the store.

* * *

Motoko learned a few things that day in the store. First off, she discovered that it's a quite a different shopping experience when you go shopping with your sister as opposed to when you go shopping with your fiancé. With aneue, it was fun, enjoyable and pleasant. They would try out a few dresses, make comments on how fast one could get in or out of them, evaluate them from a combat perspective etc.

With Keitaro it was … different. She couldn't quite tell what to make of it. He didn't make any comment about how fast she could put the clothes on. Or about how fast she would be able to get out of them. Or even anything about the combat utility of the dresses she put on! All he did was walk around the different racks and point things out to the attendant. The attendant would occasionally say something back. Then she would return to Motoko in the changing area and have her try something else. It was quite frankly a bit dull. Motoko thought that it would be one of the most boring things she would end up doing as part of her married life.

That was until she started posing. Posing for Keitaro was very different when compared with her sister. Her sister would laugh or even try touching the sides of the dress Motoko had on while she posed. With Keitaro, it felt like she was being scrutinized for some kind of interview. Which, coincidentally was the purpose of the whole shopping trip. Oddly enough, Motoko didn't resent it one bit. The first time she put on a new dress - it was a dark and long skirt that went all the way down to just above her ankles; there was a long sleeved blouse that was grey in color and the set came with a nice brown belt. She was very nervous trying it out, but the attendant and most importantly, Keitaro were very patient. When she twirled around for the pose, she noticed him swallow a small lump. Did he just gulp on seeing her in a new dress? The prospect excited her for some reason.

Soon enough, she started trying out different things just to get a reaction out of Keitaro. It was fun and thrilling! He was trying to appear disinterested, but she could tell. Sometimes he would just stare at her with a flat expression. She guessed that he was bored. Other times he would just glance at her and shift his gaze sideways while making a small comment or two. She couldn't really tell what it meant. One of her favorite reactions was when it seemed that he held his breath. He tried to make it appear as if he was breathing normally, BUT she had seen it ! Looked like she would be buying that orange dress after all.

By the end of the session, Motoko had decided to buy 3 dresses, a pair of shoes, a nice brown pouch belt and some miscellaneous accessories. Keitaro asked her why she bought the pouch belt. It didn't look like she carried much with her. In reply Motoko took out the bokken that she had around her waist and holding it vertically with one hand, twisted it in a series of quick moves. To his surprise, the bokken folded up like an umbrella. It reminded him of the wands some stage magicians would use, or a car antenna. Motoko then placed the folded bokken in the pouch.

She decided to leave the store wearing the dark skirt and gray blouse that she initially put on. She suspected that Keitaro liked skirts. Idly, she wondered if he was a skirt flipper. They paid for their purchase and had just finished instructing the cashier to deliver the material to their residence when a commotion came up from the front of the store.

An armed gang had just come in and were starting a robbery!

* * *

_**Store entrance**_

Hikaru Gosunkugi was a 57-year old veteran thief. He had dark circles under his eyes that would make anyone shudder when they looked at him. He had a half-trimmed moustache and was well-built. A nasty scar adorned his left cheek in the shape of an 'X'. Today he was wearing a dark black polo shirt and a matching pair of black jeans. He had white sneakers on his feet and had a dark green jacket over him. A lot of the people nearby were especially frightened because of the automatic pistol he held in his right hand. His two thieving comrades also wore similar outfits.

Gosunkugi began his underground career about 20 years ago after he was fired from his job as a cashier of a small time video store. Back then, many of the customers complained that he was too creepy and compounded with the fact that he tended to attempt voodoo rituals in the store forced his employer to fire him. The incident stirred a rage within him that never quelled. He decided that it was the general _society _at large that made him miserable. They wouldn't permit him to love the girl of his dreams, so why should he follow _their _rules? He turned to crime.

Initially, it was a failure. He was caught almost immediately and thrown in jail. There he met another thief who taught him the importance of muscular strength and a few other shady things too. Gosunkugi lost his innocence that night, but he felt that it was a good learning experience. A pity his 'mentor' enjoyed scratching him. It was how he got the scar on his cheek.

He grew more and more proficient over the years. It wasn't always a good run. Occasionally he would be caught and thrown in jail. But he never repented. _Society _was what made him who he was and he was going to do his damnedest to pay it back! He gained the reputation of being a good leader. Small-time thieves would ask for his mentorship and he would take them on mini heists. His heists weren't always successful, but he was never known to backstab. And in the underground, that was a rare quality.

"All or Nothing" was what the shadows spoke about Gosunkugi. If he lead the heist, either everyone got out with (or without) the cash, or they would all get caught. He had a twisted idea of integrity in that sense. Which was how he found himself with a pair rookie thieves today raiding the clothing store.

They approached him a few weeks back claiming that they were in urgent need for money. He didn't really care for the reasons. As far as Gosunkugi was concerned, it was another opportunity to make society _suffer_. He wasn't a fool. It was too obvious that the two were rookies. So, rather than going after a risky target, such as a bank or electronics store, he decided to raid a clothing store.

It took them a week to plan the heist and a couple of days after that to collect their gear. Gosunkugi didn't really expect them to make too much of a profit. Margins were thin on dresses and the best he could hope for, was if some rich customer was around to steal their jewellery. His real intent behind the raid was for the experience it would bring to his two students. Repeat this a few more times and they would be ready to storm a bank!

The current heist was divided into five stages,

Stage-1: Cut the telephone lines from the outside before storming the entrance. This would prevent the silent alarm from alerting the police

Stage-2: Charge into the store and find the main power supply box (it was conveniently located near the entrance, which was one of the reasons why they decided to target the store). Attach the disruptor to the supply. This wouldn't cause any power failures, but instead would send high frequency pulses along the power lines inside the store. It would act as a jammer preventing anyone in or near the store from contacting the police with their cell phones.

Stage-3: Threaten the cashiers for the money. If they were being uncooperative, knock them out and smash the registers for the cash.

Stage-4: Scan the customers for any valuables. Demand and threaten, if needed.

Stage-5: Run out, hijack a nearby car and escape.

Their success, of course, depended on them finishing all the stages within 30 minutes. Any longer and the probability of them escaping safely would fall to near zero. As things were, it appeared that Stage-3 was proceeding smoothly. Gosunkugi knew that the automatic pistols they bought would be worth the price! They would move to Stage-4 within 5 minutes.

* * *

_**Near the cashiers**_

As soon as he realized what was going on, Keitaro looked at Motoko in the eyes. He then glanced towards the thief who was farthest away from them and was smashing one of the cash-boxes. She gave a quick nod in reply.

Keitaro ducked under the counter and quickly crept towards the thief. Obviously, he was seen by the customers and some of the staff who were standing nearby, but they kept quiet. The important part, was not to alarm the thief.

Meanwhile, Motoko dropped the pouch belt she was wearing and threw it near the other thief who was approaching the cashier near her. He was a round fellow who looked like he ate too much fast food. There was an awful smell coming from him and she couldn't tell if it was just body odor or the stink of his clothes.

She then decided that she didn't care either way. It was still disgusting!

"What are you doing?" he asked her in a gruff voice pointing his gun towards her. She pretended to be nervous and visibly shaking her body she approached near where she dropped her pouch belt.

"Please, this is very impor .. im … important to me and I-I-I need it back?" she pleaded in a nervous voice as she pointed to the pouch belt.

Thief-B, as she called him, leered at her and bent down to look at the object.

'That was too easy' Motoko thought to herself. At the same time she noticed that Keitaro was in position near Thief-A. He glanced towards her and nodded.

Bending her eyebrows in a battle-mode she started to move. She took a long step with her left foot and using her right foot as a spring, she launched herself into the air. As she leaped, she spun around once, head over heels and holding her right arm outstretched with her palm open and fingers together, she brought it down and delivered a knockout chop right over Thief-B's head. The poor fool didn't know the importance of keeping your eye on the enemy and was rewarded for his incompetence with unconsciousness.

Thief-A, meanwhile was busy smashing one of the cash-boxes with a baseball bat. He didn't notice Keitaro sneak up behind him. Or when he stood up. But he did notice the tugging from the back of his shirt collar. Keitaro had grabbed him by his collar with his right hand and pulled him up. He made the thief face the wall near the entrance way and delivered an open palm strike to his back. The thief went flying into the wall and fell unconscious.

* * *

_**Inside the store**_

Once satisfied that Stage-3 was proceeding well, Gosunkugi decided to get started on Stage-4. It was something he enjoyed doing. Terrorizing the innocents. Or _society _as he liked to think of them. He had just ripped a gold necklace from a young woman when he heard a sound that shouldn't have been there.

CRASH!

He turned to see that apprentice-A was thrown unconscious. He barely had time to point his gun at the _brat _who dared to interfere when he felt the gun get knocked out of his hand. It looked like the _brat _threw a pen at him and disarmed him.

This wasn't good. A confrontation was the last thing he wanted today. It risked extending the time he was in the store and it was critical that he and his associates leave within 30 mins! Time for Plan-B.

He put his hand into his coat and started charging towards the _brat_. Then suddenly, and without warning, he pulled out a string made of fishing wire and grabbed a little boy nearby. He quickly twisted the string around the boy's neck and then roughly hugging the little boy he proclaimed, "If you value this child's life, you'll do EXACTLY as I say!"

Gosunkugi didn't like taking hostages. That usually escalated the seriousness of the situation. But, considering that he was already in an unplanned confrontation and in danger of being caught by the police, he felt it was justified.

The _brat _stopped running towards him as soon as he realized what Gosunkugi was actually doing. He gritted his teeth and opted to stare at the kidnapper instead.

"First, I want you step back and get to wall over there. MOVE IT!" he demanded gesturing to the wall on the other side of the room. The _brat _didn't move. Instead, he stood still.

Gosunkugi was getting irritated. He tightened his hold on the little boy in his arm. "I'm warning you, this boy will be dead soon if you don't listen to me!" he spat out.

The brat then took a step back towards the indicated wall. But as he did so, he raised his right hand and took off his glasses. He then caught Gosunkugi's eyes in a battle mode.

Gosunkugi had years of nefarious experience under him. Since his teenage days, he had been involved with many fights. Some he lost and others he won. But over time, he had developed a rudimentary battle-sense. It wasn't a very advanced fighting technique and was what fighters usually did at the start of a fight. They would attempt to stare down their enemy by gazing into their eyes. It was a brief moment when they would lose attention to their surroundings and focus only on their opponent. Sometimes, it was possible to tell what kind of a fight it would be by just that first look.

What Gosunkugi was never taught, was that it was a very basic learner's trick. Any competent fighter would tell you that it's a really stupid idea to lose awareness of your surroundings, especially in a real fight. There were undeniable benefits in getting to know your opponent, but at the risk of exposing yourself? Not worth it in an unregulated fight, where people play dirty.

Thus, he was taken completely unawares when he felt a jerk on his hand and realized that someone had taken his hostage away from him. Before he could even glance at this new _miscreant_, he felt a spinning kick on his backside and was thrown towards the entrance. His head hurt when it hit the wall.

* * *

Motoko let out a sigh as she held the little boy. He was crying and shaking in fear. She tried to soothe him by saying, "Don't worry, you're safe now! So please, cheer up." She then started rubbing the little boy's back.

Unfortunately for her, the leader wasn't knocked out. He got up and screamed at her, "You DAMN MISCREANT !" He then pulled out a cylindrical object from his jacket and threw it at her.

Keitaro was shocked to see what the the leader had thrown! From where did he get such a thing? It was obvious that Motoko couldn't jump away in time - not without endangering the small boy. Instead she turned her back towards the explosive and tried to shield the small boy with her body.

Without wasting a second he grabbed a clothes hanger from the floor, charged it with some of his inner mana and threw it at the flash-bang. It flew like a frisbee and collided mid-air with the projectile. Thanks to the modifications he did to the clothes hanger, the flash-bang exploded on impact.

The explosion caused a lot of debris to fly around and many of the people in the store closed their eyes and faced away from it. Those who were unfortunate enough to look at the scene were blinded for a few minutes. The leader for good measure, also threw a few smoke bombs near the entrance. When the smoke cleared, neither he nor his goons were anywhere to be seen. And fortunately, it looked like they didn't get away with much of anything either.

The crowd cheered for Keitaro and Motoko as they got up and tried to console the little boy. It turned out that he was the manager's son. He was very grateful to them that the thieves didn't succeed with the robbery.

It was a long day and it would be some hours before they were able to leave the department store and get away from the people thanking them for their heroic efforts. A local news crew had even come over to cover the event. The couple declined to give any interviews.

* * *

_**Late night at the Hinata Inn**_

Tsuruko was waiting for them outside the entrance to the Inn. Keitaro and Motoko were slowly climbing up the steps. Before they could explain themselves Tsuruko announced, "Welcome back you two! I saw what you did on the news. I'm so proud of you both! Tell me, how did the rest of the trip go?"

Motoko glanced towards Keitaro who smiled back. She then turned towards her sister and replied, "We visited many preparatory schools and well, it's a bit too early to tell how things will proceed. But I'm hopeful!"

Keitaro stretched one hand up as he yawned and stretched himself. He raised a package he was holding, "I'm sorry, but we'll be having take-out for dinner tonight. Can you wait while I freshen up, before eating?"

Tsuruko still smiling, answered back, "Very well Keitaro. Oh, and many packages were delivered here in the evening while you were out."

It was Motoko who answered, "We were expecting them Aneue. Thank you for collecting them."

After they freshened up, Keitaro set dinner for everyone. While they ate, Motoko explained to Tsuruko how they went from one preparatory school to the next enquiring about admission. Some of them had a very strict atmosphere, while others seemed a bit more liberal. It was very different from the tutoring she had back near the Aoyama compound. She also noted that some of the people looked at her in an odd way. After lunch, she happily told her sister about the shopping experience she had with Keitaro. For some reason he didn't want to stay and listen to her, so he went to clean the dishes. Tsuruko nodded approvingly in Keitaro's direction when she heard how he was taking care of her sister.

* * *

_**Main room, Hinata Inn**_

Dinner finished, Tsuruko was sitting in the main room watching some TV. Well, the television was on but her mind was on other things and she wasn't paying it too much attention to it. At this time, Motoko would usually in their room studying and Keitaro would be inspecting the Inn planning for what repairs to try next.

She was surprised when both of them approached her. Keitaro then presented her a gift-wrapped box. Amused; and raising her eyebrows she asked, "Ano … what's all this about? It looks like one of those boxes that were delivered earlier today."

Keitaro glanced towards Motoko before facing back towards Tsuruko and replied, "Well, Motoko told me earlier that the both of you hadn't packed much in way of casual-wear when you came to Tokyo. The store manager was grateful for the help we provided and wouldn't let us go without rewarding us. So, I decided to get something for you. Motoko helped me select it and I hope it fits you well."

Curious, Tsuruko unwrapped the box and took out the dress. It was a nice yellow sundress with little decorative buttons in the front and a zip on the back. A matching yellow hat was also in the box.

"Can you try it on Aneue?" asked Motoko.

"Sure, why not?" replied Tsuruko. She then got up and proceeded to take off her kendo-gi right there in the main room. Motoko sent an annoyed glare in Keitaro's direction, but he had already turned around and didn't see it. Motoko couldn't really decide if she liked his behaviour or not. '_Males!_' she thought to herself.

A few minutes later Tsuruko announced, "You can turn around now, Keitaro."

When he turned around, he saw that she had left her kendo-gi and hakama on the sofa where she was sitting earlier and was currently wearing the yellow sundress they had bought for her. He smiled at her and went to the next room and brought back a full length mirror which he held in front of his potential sister-in-law.

Tsuruko admired herself in the mirror and spoke, "Ano … it looks good, I think. It's very thoughtful of you to gift me something this nice. Thank you!"

Keitaro nodded in appreciation and left the room taking the mirror with him. Motoko wrapped up Tsuruko's older clothes and went back to their room to study.

Left alone in the main room with the television for company, Tsuruko sat down and resumed her thoughts. Keitaro was proving himself to be a capable husband for Motoko, but it didn't look like he had any kind of sexual attractions towards her. _It was soo frustrating!_ Even when she attempted to undress right in front of him, he didn't seem to show any interest. Not that she was interested in seducing him, Oh No! She was VERY _content_ with her own husband, and didn't need anyone else.

But Tsuruko was really worried about Motoko entering married life without knowing the joys of being a woman. It would really take much of the worry off her shoulders if she could see, at least once, Keitaro being attracted to Motoko. _At least once!_

As she sat there on the sofa, Tsuruko began to realize that she would have to end up taking some drastic action. It was all for Motoko's own good!

* * *

_Coming Up Next "Before Tsuruko's Departure"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	6. Before Tsuruko's Departure

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit. There is a minor shoutout to the Fate/stay night + Sekirei crossover, _Postnuptial Disagreements_ by **Zalgo Jenkins** in this chapter.

_Author's Notes_

I wonder if anyone has noticed the fixes I'm doing to the earlier chapters? No plot changes, but a lot of minor grammar and spelling corrections. Hopefully it will be a lot easier for newer readers.

There were some clothing problems in the last chapter. I had assumed that the Aoyama sisters wore Miko attire and described them as such. It was **alansg** (from TFF) who first pointed the mistake to me (and has since been corrected, post-publishing). In fact, it led me on a fascinating search about Japanese clothing.

Regarding the dates I mention at the end of these Author's Notes. They will reflect the day when the chapter was first published. Just because I went back to make a minor correction in the story doesn't mean I'll change it - defeats the point, if you ask me.

A big thanks goes to **Without Remorse **&** EagleCeres** for editing this chapter. And also to **rukia8492 **for proofreading it afterwards. All are from TFF.

_-chronodekar_  
(10/July/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima and Motoko Aoyama have agreed to try out being engaged for 4 months to decide if they should marry or not. The former is a mage-in-training who is pursuing a dual degree while the latter is a master of the Shinmei-ryu who failed her first entrance test attempt to enter Toudai, she has decided to try again this year.

The two of them along with Tsuruko Aoyama, Motoko's elder sister are now living at the Hinata Inn, ancestral property of the Urashima family which would be passed down to Keitaro from his grandmother. Said elder was staying with them recently; until she decided to leave on a worldwide tour of hot springs.

Last chapter Keitaro invited Motoko to come shopping with him for some new clothes for her to wear. During their outing they thwarted a robbery (and rescued a child) which was taking place in the same department store they were in. The store manager rewarded them with any dress they wanted and Keitaro took the opportunity to gift Tsuruko a yellow sundress.

While happy with Keitaro's behaviour thus far, Tsuruko had some worrying concerns about his intents towards Motoko. (Primarily whether he had any at all !) She was last seen plotting something to address the matter.

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 06)

_Before Tsuruko's departure_

* * *

… _The Severing__ as the incident shall be referred to, is the most significant after-effect of the last demon war. It is unknown exactly how it happened, but what is clear is that one of the major factions had developed a new kind of weapon that went haywire. A (possibly unintended?) magical backlash ended up encompassing the entire planet. As the reader should know, every living creature possess a magical core. Some scholars describe it as an invisible limb. It is through the magical core that one can control mana (magical energy). The backlash that came from __The Severing__ attacked the magical core of every living creature rendering those with weak cores to lose their magical connections … _

- Excerpt from _**History of the World:A magi perspective**_ by _Meriwether Archibald El-Melloi_

* * *

_**Keitaro's bedroom**_

"Huuuuuuuuuuuuuoooouuuaaaaaaa haaa!" said Keitaro as he raised one of his hands over his head while covering his mouth with the other. He blinked a few times and looked at the clock. The late hour wasn't too surprising. What was annoying was how tired he felt. He had been reading his thaumaturgical books for the past few hours and needed a drink. He got up and walked out of his room. He slowly dragged himself to the kitchen and poured himself some cold milk from the fridge.

Back in his school days, he enjoyed watching Indiana Jones movies. It inspired him to consider archaeology as a future career choice. He was attracted to the adventure and thrill of what it would entail. Instead of simply dreaming things up, he actually took pains to find out how one went to become an archaeologist. This meant asking his teachers, going to the local library and taking a long bus ride to visit a museum.

The result disillusioned him. It turned out that real archaeologists lived rather boring lives, spending much of their time slowing digging through dirt to uncover old historical facts. And worst of all - Indiana Jones was a horrible archaeologist by anyone's measure! One of the primary goals of being an archaeologist was to preserve what you found for future generations. And most importantly, you had to respect the cultures of others. Going around raiding old temples and causing wanton mayhem as Jones did, was just unprofessional.

Keitaro eventually found his true calling with electricity but he never lost his interest in history. Old stories, artifacts and manuscripts fascinated him but unless they were directly related to his thaumaturgical studies he wouldn't go out of his way to search for them. Finishing his milk, he placed the cup in the sink and left the kitchen. He could wash it after breakfast tomorrow morning.

As he was returning to his bedroom, he noticed that the front door was slightly ajar. Concerned, he slowly made his way towards it and was surprised to find Tsuruko sitting out on the porch gazing at the night sky. She appeared to be in deep thought. Feeling generous he returned to the kitchen and prepared some tea. He returned to where Tsuruko was and quietly placed the cup next to her.

She didn't acknowledge him but Keitaro was certain that she knew he was there and what he was doing. After all, she _was_ the current grandmaster of the Shinmei-ryu! Feeling sleepy he softly made his way to his bedroom where he plopped down on his large and comfortable bed.

He was asleep within a few minutes.

* * *

_**Outside the Inn entrance**_

This entire business of Motoko's pending nuptials had Tsuruko recalling about how arranged marriages were done in the Aoyama family. In today's society, there seemed to be a lot of focus on _love_. Tsuruko found the situation amusing. The younger generation actually believed that an arranged marriage meant that the couple in question were forced together by their families! True, in some unfortunate cases things _did_ turn out that way, but in general there were a lot of other concerns as well.

The simple way to look at the situation was that it involved two people who would end up living the rest of their lives together. So why should it matter what anyone else in the family thinks? As long as the couple in question loved each other - wouldn't things just work out? Tsuruko shook her head rejecting the concept in her mind.

While marriage was mostly about the couple, a lot of other people; especially close family would also be involved. Financially, you could look at things like dowry and inheritance. A marriage between two individuals was an indirect contract between two families. If one was in trouble the other was naturally expected to help out. When taken in that context, marriage had to be looked upon as a business deal. Were both families financially secure? Were they both spiritually secure? Or was it that one was just trying to scam the other? Difficult questions with no easy answers.

As with any business deal a simple way to measure how fair it would be, was to look at what the other side brought to the table. For the Aoyama's they looked for other families who would help them prosper in the years to come. Consider the past few marriages that involved the clan head,

Her grandfather had married a woman who came from a family with a strong magical background. Her mother married a man whose family were experts with runes. Both of those unions resulted in the Aoyama clan gaining good contacts which they could (and did) use when they needed esoteric assistance of the magical variety. The Aoyama's were primarily swords-people, but they refused to let their pride become their crutch!

There were other clans who believed that swords-people should only marry other strong people. It was amusingly a notion subscribed by popular media as well. But realistically what became of those clans? Many good samurai families died out because they didn't adapt with the times. 'Too stubborn for their own survival.' Tsuruko thought.

The Aoyama's were good at adapting with times. When it seemed that magi were becoming more needed by society, the Aoyama clan bolstered their ranks with people who had the necessary skills. This naturally meant that they needed to depend on the new recruits and what better way to ensure loyalty, than by marrying them into the family? Such was Aoyama wisdom.

Adapting with times didn't mean to abandon the past. Swordsmanship would always flow in their veins and it was something diligently taught in the family. But it didn't mean ignoring new opportunities as they came. It was a conflicting concern, but the world around them changed and the Aoyama's would change with it as necessary.

Which of course was a big concern when it came to finding a new husband for Tsuruko. Originally it was suggested that she bring in another magi to the family. However one glance a few districts outside their home showed that new ideologies were rising. The most prominent being _technology_.

Admittedly, the Aoyama's were a bit backward when it came to technology. It had taken them a few years to get used to the idea of a wireless telephone and while they could still make do without outside help, it was not a situation that would last forever. What was needed was someone who could help improve, or to use another term - _modernize_ the clan to the new way of things.

After a lot of internal discussion (and debate), it was decided that for Tsuruko's marriage they would seek a man who was more technologically-inclined. Not just anyone would do however! It had to be someone who was respectful of tradition and someone who had proven to be successful when dealing with the new trends. After a long search, they finally found such an individual who came from a family with a secure background. A few months later, Tsuruko found herself married to a businessman who made a living programming/selling something he liked to call 'software'.

Not everyone in the family was satisfied with the decision. Some of the more vocal opponents believed that it was a subtle attempt to 'pacify' the clan of their fighter spirit. As a compromise, it was decided that Motoko would marry into a more traditional magi family.

Tsuruko smiled to herself as she recalled the changes her husband brought with him when he became an Aoyama. One of the first was introducing everyone to the concept of cellphones. Considering that by the time he entered the family, everyone was used to the idea of cordless phones, it didn't take long for people to pick up on the idea that a cell-phone was just a more improved version of it.

Her husband nearly threw a fit a few weeks later when he realized that everyone was still carrying around small pocket-sized notebooks with names and phone-numbers in them. How else were they expected to remember all their contacts? The very idea that the phone would remember it for them was ludicrous! At least, that was the popular line of family thinking back then. Eventually though, he managed to overcome everyone's stubbornness and taught them how to use the 'phonebook' feature of their phones.

Her husband was determined, if nothing else. He seemed to think that it was his moral obligation to bring the benefits of technology to everyone. "If I can't use technology to make the lives of my family any better, then what is the point of my work?" was what he would say. He also had a certain amount of stubbornness that Tsuruko found very endearing.

Take the situation that happened with Motoko. Her imouto (younger sister) was very distressed that Tsuruko didn't spend as much time with her as she used to do. Rightfully she blamed her husband. And what else was Tsuruko expected to do? Abandon her husband and play with her sister? There was a point to marriage and she didn't want to forget her duties as a wife. Which she was unfortunately forced to play when she had to discipline Motoko for attacking her husband while he was taking a nap.

It wasn't entirely Motoko's fault. Some of the other family members objected to her husband as they considered him to be a 'weakling' who couldn't defend himself. From a physical standpoint, it was true. He just wasn't a fighter! He was more of an intellectual, closer to a magi in some respects than anything else.

That didn't stop some of the family from trying to shame him out of the family. And they somehow goaded Motoko into her reckless stunt. Her husband was wearing a new T-shirt that day with a picture of a turtle on the back. Tsuruko had gifted it to him and was upset that it got ruined. Well, she _was_ more that just upset. Her husband was attacked by her own sister, of all things!

Tsuruko felt regret as she remembered the incident. As a grandmaster, she was supposed to be in complete control of her emotions, but that day … she nearly killed her sister. Motoko was already down and in her rage, Tsuruko was launching the final strike. Her husband (Bless him!), fortunately had recovered enough presence of mind to figure out what was going on. He jumped between the two sisters and attempted to shield Motoko. Shocked that the very person she was protecting was in the path of her strike, Tsuruko held back much of her power - but had to follow through the attack nevertheless.

Her husband ended up crashing into Motoko and they both fell unconscious. They woke up the next day and recovered soon enough. A fortunate after-effect of the incident was that her husband started taking a very serious interest in their Shinmei-ryu style. It wasn't that he was uninterested before - he could very accurately analyse any fight he had witnessed, but he never practised. Now he exercised regularly and began learning the basics. He refused to learn any offensive techniques; preferring instead to dodge and run.

While that would sound cowardly for a combatant, considering that he was more of a tactician (or businessman) it made good sense.

Motoko on the other hand, developed an adverse reaction to turtles. She began to see them as demons or horrible monsters that she couldn't possibly defeat. It was very fortunate that she was never intended to become the clan head, otherwise it would have set a very bad precedent. Tsuruko tried over the years to help her imouto over her fears, but nothing seemed to work.

Tsuruko was glad that Keitaro had left some warm tea near her. She had felt him approach, but considering who he was and that he wasn't harboring any hostile feelings, she opted to ignore him. Two years ago, her husband had tried to introduce the family to the concept of 'internet'. Tsuruko often wondered why youngsters enjoyed wasting their time sitting in front of a display and typing on a typewriter in front of it. Or was it called a keyboard? It was difficult for her to use and at times her fingers got stuck between the keys.

Some months ago, he had gifted her a portable display. Or was it called a tablet? Tsuruko wasn't really sure what it was called, but she found it immensely comfortable to use. It was actually fun emailing her husband every now and then! In fact that was one of the reasons she came out tonight, now that she thought about it. She put her hand inside her white kendo-gi and pulled out the device. After pressing a few buttons it was apparent that the battery had run out.

'Oh well, I can recharge it tomorrow.' thought Tsuruko. It was then she realized that while Keitaro had brought her a cup of tea, he didn't leave any tray or saucer behind. Improvising for the situation, Tsuruko placed the hot cup on her tablet and enjoyed the rest of the night star gazing before retiring to the room she shared with Motoko.

* * *

_**The next morning**_

As per his usual routine, Keitaro woke up in the morning and went to brush his teeth. The Inn washbowl was placed underneath the stairs leading to the second floor and not in a bathroom of its own. His grandmother used to tell him that having it there meant that all the tenants would need to meet each other in their disheveled morning states. She believed it was a good bonding experience. Having lived for some time in a boys hostel with a similar setup, Keitaro could attest that if nothing else, a lot of small-talk did occur.

He supposed that it was just another way of getting to know other people. However with his current housemates that just wasn't happening. For one thing Keitaro needed to make breakfast which required that he had to wake up real early. For another, the Aoyama sisters usually brushed their teeth after their morning exercises. Thus they never collided with one another before breakfast.

While he was in the kitchen preparing the day's breakfast, Keitaro wondered if he would be permitted to come by and watch them practise. They never told him not to, but he never really got the chance either. Usually by the time he would be finished in the kitchen they would be back.

After breakfast was over and the plates cleared, Keitaro brought out some university/college entrance forms and laid them out on the table. "I thought we could fill these in for you today morning." he said to Motoko. She agreed and they soon got busy filling in Motoko's application letters. Tsuruko sat down near them and started reading the morning paper.

"Umm.. Motoko? What was your score in the last entrance exam?", asked Keitaro. It wasn't a detail that needed to be filled in but he was curious. Motoko answered him in a simple tone.

"Keitaro? What's wrong?" asked a concerned fiancée. Keitaro had gone rather still and a few of the papers he was holding flew out of his hand onto the floor. He took a deep breath and after composing himself asked Motoko in a nervous voice, "I - I'm sorry, but could you please repeat your score again?"

Tsuruko raised one of her eyebrows seeing her potential brother-in-law's reaction. Motoko, a bit hesitant and more worried than before answered him back.

Keitaro looked dumbstruck at Motoko. He then closed his eyes and took a long breath. When he opened his eyes he said, "Please wait right there. I need to check on something!" He then got up from the kitchen table and went to his bedroom.

A few minutes later, he came back with a pile of papers that looked like statistics and placed them on the table. He then started running his eyes over the data quickly and began to re-arrange the papers. At one point he took out a pen and started crossing out a few lines from one of the pages. Then another and another. By the time he was finished, he had sorted out his statistics collection into two piles- one large pile and another small pile that was full of crosses.

Taking another deep breath, he looked straight into Motoko's eyes and asked, "Please answer me honestly Motoko - how do you think you fared in the last entrance exam?"

Feeling rather nervous now she blinked once and unable to face her fiancé with the reply she bend her head down and hid her eyes before replying, "I failed."

Keitaro gave himself a strong facepalm. His nose actually hurt when his palm slammed itself into his face. He then began to mumble unintelligibly for a few moments. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slammed it down on the table.

"You are an IDIOT !" he growled at his fiancée. He then lowered his face to look at the table and continued in a sour voice, "I agreed to help you thinking that you were at least average, but then you come by and throw **this **at me!"

He then shook his head to himself, "Heh, I don't know what to think about this situation anymore!". Keitaro then threw his head back and started laughing.

Motoko was feeling really crushed. She didn't look up towards Keitaro since she answered him, but she could feel him mocking her. And earlier, it seemed that he really wanted to help her too! She sniffed once. Then, without understand why tears began to form in her eyes.

Tsuruko on the other hand had a frown on her face and was feeling very upset with Keitaro. Was her sister's score so low that he had to mock her? With a neutral tone she asked him, "Urashima, I sincerely hope you have a reason for this rude behaviour of yours?"

Whatever Keitaro was feeling, he couldn't mistake the hostility that radiated off Tsuruko Aoyama. That and the fact that she called him 'Urashima' was a sure sign that she was more than 'just' upset. He stopped laughing and looked at Tsuruko straight in the eye and asked with a frown on his face, "Can I assume that you are responsible for allowing her to attempt the entrance exams again?"

Surprised at the utter lack of hostility from him she replied, "Of course I am responsible! What kind of an elder sister do you take me for?"

Keitaro then balled his hand into a fist and brought it to his chest. It was held tightly and shivering. Suddenly he threw it out but instead of a punch, he just pointed to Tsuruko and said in an angry tone, "Then I consider you to be an even bigger FOOL!"

Tsuruko, now even more angry that he was pointing at her stood up from the table and towered over Keitaro, "Urashima, I hope you realize what you are doing here because it will not be forgiven easily."

A frown on his face and still sitting down Keitaro replied in an even tone, "I know **exactly** what I'm doing here. Tell me Tsuruko-san, do you know how difficult the entrance exams are? Or more importantly, how many more applicants there are each passing year?"

Deciding to humor what might well be the last conversation she would have with him Tsuruko replied, "I've never taken the test personally, but I understand that it is very difficult. And as for the number of applications, it ranges in the thousands with more attempting each passing year."

With a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his face Keitaro spoke back "**Exactly**. There are _thousands_ of applicants. Which means that the same score an applicant gets is easily staggered across many ranks!"

Blinking her eyes Tsuruko replied, "I do not understand what you trying to say."

Standing up to be on a more even footing with Tsuruko, Keitaro pointed towards Motoko and said, "What I am saying is that my fiancée here lost Toudai by a hair! BY-A-HAIR !" he growled the last part out.

Then taking some of the statistic papers he brought with him he waved them over Tsuruko's face and retorted, "But look at the rank lists of admitted students to the the other universities! Hokkaido University! Kyushu University! Or even Osaka University! Motoko could have joined **ANY **one of them! And instead you allowed her to sit back a year. What **else **am I supposed to call you, other than a fool? Just about any other applicant would give all 4 limbs and even more to be in the same position as her!"

Shocked, Tsuruko brought her hand to cover her mouth and exclaimed with a surprised expression over her face, "Ano … you mean to tell me that my imouto actually did well?"

Stunned at that reply, Keitaro just blinked at Tsuruko a few times. Privately he pondered to himself, 'She DOES live in modern Japan, right? … On second thought, I think I'll keep that retort to myself'.

Taking a deep breath he picked up some of the statistics papers and shoved them towards Tsuruko, "Judge for yourself." he told her simply. He then shook his head again and turned to face Motoko who was now looking at him with a few tears coming from her eyes. It appeared that she had just stopped crying.

Deadpanned Keitaro just looked at his fiancée. He was rather shocked to realize that she was even crying to begin with! Taking a quick breath he said, "I won't go back on my word. Obviously, I'm going to help you but honestly, I'm beginning to wonder just what kind of help you _really _need."

Motoko began to smile a bit. The sight of his fiancée with tears on her cheeks and a smile on her lips felt oddly arousing to Keitaro. Realizing that the situation was getting dangerous, he shook his head and said, "I need to leave and think for a bit. See you later." He needed to get out of the room before things got any more awkward. Not wasting another moment he quickly paced himself towards the living room.

Unfortunately, Tsuruko was too shocked to notice his reaction and by the time she regained her senses Motoko had dried up her tears and was looking at her with an odd expression on her face.

* * *

_**Later that afternoon**_

The events of the morning had taken a lot out of Keitaro. For one thing he discovered that his fiancée was a lot more academically inclined that he originally believed. For another he also discovered that she was incredibly stubborn.

A few more discussions over the matter occurred over lunch and he found out that Motoko was so focused on entering Toudai, that she considered every other university irrelevant. In some ways, he could respect that. In fact, he found it a very admirable quality in a person. He just wished that someone would have told him about her 'Toudai promise' a lot sooner.

Still, he wasn't in a position to argue. If Motoko wanted to get into Toudai that badly, then he was going to help her do it! He didn't really know much about being a fiancé. It was his first time after all. But he reasoned that it meant getting along, and he felt that he was taking the right steps in that direction with Motoko.

It was an hour after lunch and he had called his housemates together for an important announcement. They were standing in front of the entrance to one the bathrooms in the Hinata Sou.

"Ladies, I am pleased to announce that our restroom facilities are now functioning!" Keitaro as he opened the earlier sealed door and stepped to the side to let them walk in. He followed in after them.

It would have been a good restroom in its original state. As it was now, a large multi-piece mirror was hung on the side wall with washbasins in front of it. Most of the mirror was dusty and it was hard to see a reflection in it, but one of the pieces and a washbasin were cleaned and looked functional.

Motoko looked at it and raised her eyebrow towards her fiancé. Keitaro sleepily responded, "Yes, well I agree it isn't ALL working, but that one faucet was the only one I could fix so far. The rest of them have some issue or the other. It's pretty much the same story with the showers." He then waved his hand in the direction of the shower stalls. It appeared that there were 5 stalls in total, but only one of them was clean. Tsuruko opened it and turned the tap a little. A small amount of water began to flow from the shower. She said, "It at least, appears usable."

"It is. If you look at the side there, you will notice that I've placed some soap and shampoo too." responded Keitaro pointing to the aforementioned objects.

Turning away from the mirror Motoko looked back towards Keitaro and asked, "So this means we won't need to walk down to the tea-house for a bath everyday anymore?"

Keitaro nodded his head as he replied, "Yes, that's right. I was thinking of locking it up this evening when I go down there."

Bringing a hand to her chin Tsuruko asked, "Keitaro, I was under the impression that this used to be an Inn. If so, shouldn't there be another set of restroom facilities here? Ano … it appears that this is the female section."

Raising his hand to the back of his head Keitaro replied in a sleepy fashion, "He, he, … well Tsuruko-san, that's because it IS the female section. If you look at the door we just passed through to enter, you'll notice that I've taken down the marker sign."

Motoko and Tsuruko turned their heads towards the door and yes, the sign was taken down and had been placed on the side. Keitaro then continued, "If you think this looks bad, you should see the men's room. One of the pipes had actually burst and when you think about the dust, it's a royal mess in there. I was hoping that since it was just the three of us living here, we could … timeshare?" he asked hopefully.

It was Tsuruko who replied, "Soon enough it will be just the two of you. I need to leave for the Aoyama compound to take charge of my duties again." Then, with a playful smirk on her face she looked at her sister and asked, "Ara, what do you think Motoko? Can you peacefully _share _the bathroom facilities with your fiancé?"

Not realizing what her sister was implying, Motoko innocently replied back, "I don't think it should be too much of a problem Aneue. I think we will get along just fine."

Keitaro on the other hand, grew a small blush over his face when he heard the exchange. He quickly shook his head said, "Thank you. Now to proceed, let me show you how to open some of the so-called child-proof cupboards in here …"

As Keitaro continued to show the rest of working bathroom facilities, Tsuruko allowed herself to smile a little. 'It appears like Keitaro does have some _not-so-innocent _thoughts about my imouto for him to blush at that comment. Still, I need a bit more confirmation before I can go back home without any worries.' she thought to herself.

* * *

_**Door to Hinata hot spring**_

After the restrooms were toured, Keitaro stood with a grand and pompous pose in front another door that was sealed off before.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, I would like to present to you - the Hinata Hot Springs!" , he exclaimed as he brandished his hand in an extravagant fashion and made a deep bow.

This was something that Motoko was looking forward to see when she first heard that they had a hot spring here. Due to repair work, Keitaro had closed off this section of the Inn and he insisted that he would fix it himself. Aneue and her had offered to help, but he claimed that as the host he wanted the privilege of showing off the springs in their prime condition. Then with a smirk he said that if they were so keen on helping him clean the springs, they could pitch in later after he officially re-opened them. It was nearly a week since then and as the days went by, Motoko was beginning to get worried that the springs had dried up. Though judging by what she was just seeing, she needn't have worried.

It was beautiful ! There was steam rising from the waters and grey stones were placed along the sides. There were plenty of spots for a person or two to sit and relax themselves. On one side, it looked like the stones were arranged in a semi-circular fashion. It looked the kind of spot where one could sit with friends and relax together. As she walked up to the spring, she noticed that the water near the shallow edge was crystal clear. Something was causing ripples to spread across the water. She gazed towards the source and found a small waterfall pouring hot water into the spring. A little towards the side, she noticed what appeared to be the outflow. The water was flowing out of the hotsprings and away from the Inn. She guessed that this was the source of the stream near where she did her morning exercises.

There was a clean smell in the air too. Motoko took a deep breath and smiled. She tried to see further into the waters but with all the steam rising and the ripples over the surface, it was impossible to make anything out.

"Don't worry, there's nothing _in _the waters. Well, apart from a few pebbles and the like anyway.", commented Keitaro when he noticed what she was trying to do.

Tsuruko in the meantime had bent down and was idly making small splashes with the water. "It looks beautiful Keitaro! You have done a marvelous job of cleaning it up!", she commented.

"Thank you.", Keitaro politely replied back acknowledging the compliment. He then opted to look at his fiancée who appeared awe-struck. A glance that didn't go unnoticed by Tsuruko.

She smiled to herself as she pondered over it. 'Hmm... it looks like things are going well. Still, how should I nudge him in the needed direction?' she said to herself.

"Keitaro?" she called him. He looked towards her with one of his eyebrows raised, indirectly asking her what was the matter.

Having been assured that she had his attention Tsuruko continued, "I do not see any divisions in the spring. Ano ... is it a mixed bath?" she asked in a simple voice.

Surprised at the question Keitaro raised both his eyebrows. "Of course! This used to be called 'Inn of Fateful Unions'. What would be the point if we didn't permit mixed bathing? Besides that, there is something of a requirement that for the leylines in this area to flow smoothly, we need the springs to be gender neutral. I'm not too sure on the details, but that was what grandma indicated." he replied back to her.

Pointing to some of the rocks he continued, "If you look closely at some of the arrangements, you might recognize the bounded field that cover the springs. It serves to calm anyone who bathes in the spring as well as to provide some additional reinforcement to a person's natural regenerative abilities. In fact - and I've never confirmed this - but there is an old legend of how major battle wounds could be healed by resting in the spring for a few hours."

Filing that information at the back of her mind Tsuruko asked, "Is there any special rule or restriction we need to be aware before we soak ourselves?"

"Hmm... none that I can specifically recall. The usual rules of any hot spring such as no soaps or shampoos are permitted apply of course!" he replied.

"In that case, will you join us in a soak right now?", Tsuruko asked her potential brother-in-law.

An unmanly 'Urk!' escaped Keitaro as he looked towards Tsuruko. He hadn't planned for any such thing! Realizing the danger of what was to come, he attempted to make up an excuse, "Er.. I think I'll have to decline for now. You two would probably enjoy it more without me and besides, I think it would make Motoko feel awkward."

Quickly covering her sister's mouth before she could object Tsuruko countered, "On the other hand, my imouto was looking forward to this. She _insists_ that you join us. _Now_." The last part almost felt like a queen commanding her subjects.

Realizing a lost battle when he saw it Keitaro took a small gulp down his throat and replied, "Very well. You two get ready first and I'll follow in afterwards." He then quickly stepped towards the adjoining bathrooms.

Tsuruko then faced Motoko and told her, "Come with me Motoko! We need to fetch supplies from our room."

* * *

30 minutes later Keitaro found himself outside the door to the hot springs. It would be really odd going in with a full dress, so as per the protocol all he had on was a white towel tied around his waist. He was feeling more than a little nervous. Not because of his lack of upper clothing (though, that could be a minor cause too) but rather because of _who _was in the hot spring at the moment.

He knew that his fiancée would be in and so would his potential sister-in-law. While the latter did claim that Motoko wanted to experience a small community bath, he was sure that she had her own plans as well. And _that,_ was what was bothering our hero. What _was _Tsuruko planning? She couldn't possibly be thinking of attacking him in the spring, would she? Keitaro wasn't too sure. Still, he couldn't delay any longer so taking a deep breath he opened the door and stepped in.

There was a lot of fog in the air and he couldn't see too far, but some shapes could be made out in the distance. Besides they were calling him over.

"Keitaro, we are over here!", came Motoko's voice as he made his way into the water. She sounded normal, which Keitaro hoped was a good sign. It seemed like they were in one of the semi-circular sections of the hot spring. As he got closer, he saw that the two sisters were neck deep in the water. He couldn't make out too much below the water level but it was obvious that they were both wearing towels over their bodies. He sat down opposite to them and soaked himself in too.

Tsuruko had her eyes closed and was enjoying herself. When she felt that Keitaro had settled himself in she commented, "Ano … This feels really nice! You have a wonderful hot spring here Keitaro Urashima!"

In spite of using his full name, he got the feeling that it was sincere praise. Smiling he thanked her back by saying, "Thank you very much Tsuruko-san. What do you think of it Motoko?". He addressed the latter question to his fiancée.

Motoko smiled back at him and replied in a sweet voice, "It's feels really good. I could immerse myself in here for hours!"

Cracking open one of her eyes, Tsuruko looked towards her sister and teased her, "You do that, and you'll come out looking like some old prune, imouto."

Annoyed at her sister, Motoko decided that the mature response would be to stick her tongue out at her. The three of them rested in the waters for a few minutes not making any noise, but breathing slowing and enjoying themselves.

Motoko looked at her fiancé and asked him a question that had been on her mind for a short while, "Keitaro how come your glasses don't fog up in this steam?"

It took Keitaro a few moments to realize that he was being addressed. He blinked his eyes twice and answered her, "That's rather observant of you to notice. I'm impressed ! Simply put, these glasses have a few runes etched on their inner side. I'm sure you can understand it, when I say that it will be a terrible inconvenience in the middle of a battle if my glasses were to fog up. The runes project a small barrier around the frame so that water doesn't condense on them. On a technical note they are powered by the magical energy present in the hot steam itself, so in a way it's self-sufficient!"

Amazed Motoko replied, "Those are some pair of spectacles then! From where did you get them?"

Keitaro replied, "My sister Kanako gave them to me on my birthday 3 years ago. She had just finished learning about runes back then and felt that it would be a nice gift."

"You have a caring sister. When will I be able to meet her?" queried Motoko.

"Hmm... she should be coming here with my belongings from London soon enough. It depends on how well the packing goes. Hopefully, within a week or two?" replied Keitaro scratching the back of his head.

They settled into a peaceful moment after that. A little later Keitaro with his eyes closed said, "Motoko?"

Enjoying the hot water around her and not really wanting to turn and face him she just replied, "Hmm?"

Acknowledging her response Keitaro asked, "I'm curious, is the Shinmei-ryu style difficult to use?"

The question aroused Tsuruko's attention. She didn't reply, but strained her ears a bit harder to hear the conversation. Motoko puffing her chest with pride replied, "It's a matter of hard work and dedication Keitaro. Take the current head my sister here for example - to reach even close to her skill-level an average person would need to train and work really hard for years. And that is if said person doesn't die from the training."

"What about your own skill-level? Compared to your sister, I would expect you to be good." asked Keitaro. He had opened his eyes and was looking in Motoko's direction.

She looked back at him in a quizzical way and replied, "She is the current grandmaster, while I only recently gained my master's rank. I might be able to hold her off for a small while, but in a real fight, she easily overpowers me."

Tsuruko smiled when she heard that and brought a hand to cover her mouth. She commented in a playful tone, "He,he. Trying to flatter me imouto? Do not degrade yourself. He asked if you were good and you most certainly are!"

Motoko moved herself to sit up a bit straighter. She maneuvered herself a little more on the rock she was sitting on and had risen above the water level so that her bare shoulders could be seen. She then turned her head to respond to her sister, "That may be, but you are still a lot stronger than me Aneue."

Tsuruko's smile widened a bit when she heard that. She didn't move, but instead glanced at Keitaro's direction. She noticed that he seemed to be staring at Motoko's chest. It was still underwater and was covered with a towel, but the curves could still be seen. He didn't seem to realize that he had been caught. Either that, or he was staring without realizing it himself. Regardless, it gave Tsuruko some hope that he **was **allured by her sister. Not wanting to lose an opportunity she had been waiting a long time for, she stretched out her hand and positioned it behind her sister's back.

Keitaro then asked, "What about the basics? Are they difficult to learn?"

Motoko turned to his direction and he looked back at her face. "As I already said, it's a matter of dedication and hard work. But, if you are talking about the _bare _basics, I guess they are a simple matter. In fact, it didn't take me too long to teach it to some of the newer students." she replied.

"Oh? I didn't know you could teach Motoko." commented Keitaro.

"I've been doing it for a few years now Keitaro. Why do you ask? Do you wish to learn?" asked Motoko.

"AAAHHH!" yawned Keitaro closing his eyes and raising his hands. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I doubt if I would have the time, but who knows?" he replied. His yawn was infectious and Motoko too brought a hand to cover her mouth. She then raised one hand and stretched her back. Keitaro idly noticed that her chest had risen a bit above the water with the movement and that the water made the towel stick to her skin. He absentmindedly noticed that she had some beautiful curves. He wasn't sure why he felt a bit disappointed when she sunk back into the water. Dreamily he closed his eyes, shook his head and took a small breath.

Satisfied with her manipulating, Tsuruko moved a little away from her sister and began to get out of the water. She timed her exit so that the steam would cover her modesty. She needed Keitaro distracted with Motoko and nothing else! As she rose above the water, she noted that they would need to get better towels to address the issue of the cloth sticking too close to the skin when wet. Then she realized that they probably _did _have something of the such and that it should be packed away somewhere they hadn't cleaned out yet. 'Oh well !' she thought to herself.

Tsuruko then turned to where Motoko and Keitaro were sitting. The fog covered them and she couldn't directly see them, but she could image the scene that was about to take place. She called out, "Motoko! We need to move out now!"

* * *

_**Back in the hot spring**_

From the way the water moved, Keitaro figured out that Tsuruko had started moving towards the hot spring exit. A nice feeling was washing over him. Motoko seemed to be enjoying herself and didn't want to follow her sister. He could understand that - he was feeling rather pleased too.

…

Wait. … WHAT?

Keitaro suddenly blinked his eyes three times and quickly shook his head. He had been staring at Motoko for the past few minutes and hadn't even realized it! 'Impressive self-discipline I have' he sarcastically commented to himself. Realizing that the situation was getting _dangerous _he started to move towards the exit. He passed Motoko and was almost out of sight (thanks to the fog) when Tsuruko called her sister.

Motoko obediently stood up. She felt a small shiver as the water slid off her skin and back into the hot spring. It made a splashing noise. The towel she had on had gotten heavier and began to slip off as well. As soon as she realized what was happening she quickly caught hold of the unruly cloth and held it close towards herself. Unfortunately, the towel had lowered itself and she ended up grabbing it by her waist.

The noise of the water splashing caught Keitaro's attention and he looked back to see Motoko standing up from the water surface. It was a sight that made him feel excited. NO. Scratch that last thought. He needed to know more about her before he could permit himself to proceed in that direction. Any excuse to delay raising a family! (It wasn't that he was against the idea, but rather it meant having a baby and that was a situation that had to be _avoided at all costs!_) He blinked to clear his thoughts. Unfortunately, after the blink was over he was treated to the sight of his wet fiancée holding an equally wet towel at her waist with her upper body exposed.

'...' were the most rational thoughts that crossed his mind in that moment. He was most definitely excited! Trying to seize some control of the situation, his subconscious closed his eyes and brought his hands to his face to stop the nosebleed that was forming.

Motoko's eyes widened in panic as her fiancé turned back to look at her. Her mind went into shock and shut itself down. Unfortunately, so did her subconscious. What was left running were her defensive female instincts. Said instincts had years of experience fighting perverts and quickly took stock of the situation,

1. The male in front was looking at her.

2. He appeared to be frozen.

3. He was covering his face for some weird reason.

4. A quick glance below indicated (in spite of the wet towel !) that he was _very _excited.

5. She was feeling cold due to some draft.

6. The feeling in her chest indicated that she was exposed.

The prognosis? He was obviously doing something to her and by good fortune had got stuck mid-way!

Best course of action? Get angry and defend herself.

Having reached a conclusion, her female instincts got Motoko to clench her teeth and growl. She then closed her hand into a fist and brought it back. Quickly, before the pervert got away the fist struck out!

SMASH!

Her subconscious regained control as soon as her fist touched Keitaro's chest. Realizing that this was not something that she should be doing, she pulled much of her punch. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough and Keitaro went flying to the other end of the hot spring. Not wanting to handle the situation, her subconscious kicked her mind awake and went back into hibernation.

Her mind booted up quickly and Motoko blinked twice. She then shook her head and slowly brought her hand close to her face. It was still clenched in a fist. She took a long breath and recalled what just occurred.

She was going to be in soo much trouble with Tsuruko for this! There was no way she would tolerate it! Not wanting to face anyone Motoko immediately ran out of the hot spring. She quickly showered, put on a bathrobe and went to sit on a sofa in the living room. Her sister was bound to be in the bedroom they shared together and she really, _really _did not want to see her. In her haste, she failed to notice that she had already run by a shocked and wide-eyed Tsuruko in the hot spring.

* * *

_**Just outside the hot spring**_

Tsuruko knew that she could never predict the exact outcome of what would happen when she called her sister. She knew that she had loosened _ever-so-slightly_ the towel that Motoko had around her and that it would slip when she got up. She couldn't really tell how far it would have slipped. If Motoko was fast enough, nothing eventful would have happened. But her sister was so immersed in the spring that chances were, she wouldn't notice things until they were too late.

The question was - how late would things get when she did notice? Would the towel completely fall off, or would she just give her fiancé a quick peek? Tsuruko couldn't really tell. And speaking of which; the fiancé in question was the one who forced her into creating this plan. No matter how much time he spent with Motoko, it didn't look like he was hormonally interested in her at all ! Tsuruko was beginning to have concerns about his sexual preferences. Was he of the _other _kind?

True, recent events had shown promise that he might be having some desires about her sister. But in the end, it was still just a guess. Before she left for the Aoyama compound, Tsuruko wanted some kind of definite proof that Keitaro was sexually attracted towards Motoko. It wasn't necessary that they had to have a premature wedding night, but _still_. And it would be the best course of action for all concerned. If she didn't get any proof before her departure within the next few days, she would need to start searching for other prospective grooms when she got back home - so that Motoko would be able to find a better husband after the 4 month period with Keitaro was over.

Regardless of how things would proceed, in the best case scenario Keitaro should get a small nose-bleed when he got a glimpse of Motoko. If in spite of that he didn't, Tsuruko was prepared to call the engagement off. She really hoped things wouldn't go that far. It would be difficult to meet with Grandmother Hina if she did so but in the end, Motoko came first. And Tsuruko would rather be damned rather than to let her sister enter a hopeless marriage!

Very nervous but hopeful, Tsuruko peered into the fog that covered the hot springs after she called for her sister. She heard the sound of water splashing. Good. That meant that the towel did slip! So around now Keitaro should be getting at least a small peek at his fiancée. Normally, Tsuruko would be against even the suggestion of her sister flashing a man _especially _someone outside the family. But considering that it was her fiancé involved here, Tsuruko felt that an exception could be made.

Then she heard what felt like a grown of some sorts. Why or rather who would be growling over there? 'Wait, … Oh NO!' Tsuruko said to herself as she realized what might be happening. 'I had forgotten about how _Motoko _might react to the situation!' she berated herself. Still it was too late to pull back now and all she could do was watch and hope for the best.

Shaking her head and closing her eyes Tsuruko realized that the entire plan could very well fall to pieces right now. If Motoko knocked Keitaro out before he even saw her, then obviously he wouldn't have a nose-bleed. On the other hand, if as she worried he wasn't really into her and she knocked him out, he still wouldn't have a nose-bleed. Either way Tsuruko wouldn't be able to tell the difference and Motoko would be too … volatile to even ask.

Chewing the nail of her thumb in frustration Tsuruko thought to herself, 'Damn!'.

She wasn't too surprised when Keitaro flew towards her. He landed in the water to the side of where she was standing on his back. He (fortunately!) still had his towel tied around his waist. The fog was getting in the way and she couldn't see his face. With a very worried feeling in her chest, Tsuruko took a deep breath and moved towards Keitaro, praying with all her heart that she would find what she was looking for.

When she got near enough to see his face she had to blink. Then again. She brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes; just to make sure. But there was no mistaking it - Keitaro _did _have a nose-bleed ! It couldn't be mistaken for a punch to his face. Motoko might have tried to pull her punch at the last minute, but judging by the arc that her fiancé made when he landed, Tsuruko knew that he was hit on the chest. She had enough familiarity with Motoko's attacks that she was certain about it.

Tsuruko was so relieved and happy that she nearly squealed! She brought both her hands up to her mouth to prevent any sounds from coming out. This was a most happy occasion! Of course she couldn't make a celebration of it, but now she was sure that Keitaro was not of the _other _kind of people. True, there was no real guarantee that they would agree to get married after the 4 month period was over but this was a very positive sign! And considering what she knew of the Urashima reputation the rest was all up to Motoko.

Remembering her sister brought a frown to Tsuruko's face. 'That idiot nearly ruined everything!' she angrily said to herself. Didn't she tell her to at least _try _to make the marriage work? What part of that means to assault your own fiancé when he _looks _at you?

Grinding her teeth, Tsuruko stalked out of the hot spring and went to the bathroom. It appeared that her sister at least had the presence of mind to shower herself. Tsuruko did the same before donning a bathrobe and stomping out into the living room in search of her errant imouto.

She forgot that she had left Keitaro floating on his back in the hot spring.

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Motoko knew that she was in a lot of trouble. One of the foremost rules of their Shinmei-ryu was that innocents would _not be harmed_. On the good side she didn't use any special technique when she hit her fiancé, but as a trained master she should not have hit him at all to begin with. It wasn't like he _did _anything now was it? True, he got a peek at her chest but it was just an accident.

She was sitting in the center of the sofa with her legs folded up to her face. For an onlooker viewing the situation, it would appear that she was trying to hide her face with her legs - which _was _what she was doing. Not that it would really hide her from Tsuruko, but it was a kind of reflex action when faced with an angry, older, stronger and morally correct elder sibling.

Thinking about the incident made Motoko imagine the whole scene again. She recalled that Keitaro got very excited when he glanced at her. She blushed a deep red when she realized what she was thinking about. Burying her face further into her raised knees she brought her hands over her legs and hugged herself. Did he somehow plan the whole thing? He never came near her when they were in the hot spring, so it couldn't be that ! Would he have tried something? Like perhaps approach her and maybe …? Motoko couldn't really think any further than that. It … she couldn't explain why, but she just _couldn't _finish that question. Even in her own mind ! She gave herself a small shiver.

Sooner or later she would need to go back to the room they shared and face her Onee-chan. As much as she was afraid of what would happen, she knew that sooner or later Tsuruko's judgement would come. She bit her lower lip and glanced towards their room. She blinked once and just stared at it.

Thus, she was taken unawares when Tsuruko strode up from the direction of the hot springs and towered in front of her.

* * *

_**Bathroom, Hinata Inn**_

Tsuruko was really upset with Motoko. 'What was the girl _thinking?_' she asked herself for the _umpteenth time_ while in the shower. It was difficult enough as it was, to just _find _a potential groom. And after agreeing to be engaged to him for a least a few months, she went and knocked him out for _looking_ at her! Tsuruko knew that her sister had some issues - she was abnormally obsessed with 'disciplining' perverts. And _sure _that would include any male misbehaving. But isn't one's own fiancé normally the exception?

On the other hand, Tsuruko was relieved about Keitaro's situation. At least _he _seemed to be normal enough. Sure he didn't cling all over Motoko as much as she would like, but then again it's the start of the relationship so he probably wanted to take things slow. It was something she admired in Keitaro - he didn't behave some some random hormonally-obsessed teenager. Then again, she never expected him to.

It was a family secret in the Aoyama family - she was wearing a simple thread necklace around her neck. It was white and unless one was specifically searching, it would go unnoticed. The thread came from a special spool that was passed down the Aoyama line. The speciality was that, if an Aoyama wore the thread in any form - bangle, necklace … etc. (it didn't matter) and went to an Omiai meeting, they could tell if the prospective mate was a mindless hormonally-powered idiot.

The family used it as a basic screening test for candidates. While other factors were also important, if it appeared that the potential partner was only interested in bedroom activities they would drop out of talks immediately. Tsuruko recalled that it was one of her aunts who wore a small thread bangle for her Omiai meeting many years ago. A few short months after the wedding was over the spool was passed into her hands. And she in turn would pass it to the next Aoyama.

Motoko would never inherit it though. Regardless of whom she would end up marrying, the simple fact was that she was marrying _out _of the family. She would always be Tsuruko's imouto and be well cared for, but in matters of family inheritance all she would get were items of good commercial value or those which would be easy (but expensive) to replace. The family heirlooms of course, would only pass onto the next Aoyama. Which in the current case meant Tsuruko's descendants.

That didn't mean that Tsuruko was forbidden for using said heirlooms in assisting her sister. She was immediate family after all ! At the moment though, it was out of habit that Tsuruko kept wearing the thread around her neck. Considering that Motoko was engaged, it wasn't needed anymore.

Back in the Omiai meeting, Tsuruko felt that Keitaro was a good man. He still had some more growing up to do, but she was sure that he took his responsibilities seriously. Whether he would fall in love with Motoko or not, wasn't something that could easily be predicted. But as with most cases it was usually a matter of time. The fact that he considered Motoko attractive enough to have a nose-bleed about her was a good sign.

However, Motoko's response to the whole event was out-of-line. Initially, Tsuruko was worried about Keitaro's side of the union. But the incident in the hot spring indicated that it should have been her own imouto that she should have paid more attention to.

Donning a bathrobe, Tsuruko shook her head. She would need to explain a few things to her imouto about being involved in a relationship. But before that, some old-fashioned discipline would need to be melted out! She hoped that Keitaro wouldn't mind too much if his fiancée limped a bit over the next few days.

Tsuruko stepped into the living room to find Motoko hugging herself on the sofa and staring at the door of the room they shared. She gave a small sigh at the situation. Leveling her eyes in a flat look, she moved and stood in front of the sofa her sister was on. She folded her hands under her chest and stared down on her sister.

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Motoko was surprised to find Tsuruko standing in front of her. And her sister did not look pleased. She visibly shuddered a bit. It seemed that Tsuruko wasn't in their room but had just come out of the hot spring.

'Oops!' was the thought that rang through her mind. She slowly tilted her head upwards to look at her sister's face. Motoko's lips trembled a bit when she noticed the look being directed at her. She took a small gulp with her throat.

Tsuruko took a deep breath before saying, "Ano … Motoko I am most displeased right now! I hope you have a good explanation for what just happened; because if it is not satisfactory, there _are _going to be consequences -"

And that was as far as she got in her lecture when she got interrupted with a noisy,

SLAM!

The two sisters turned their heads in the direction of the noise and saw that the door to the hot spring had been pushed open. Keitaro was standing in the doorway, dripping wet and had a towel around his waist. He appeared to have opened the door with his right hand and was now looking around the room.

When he saw the two sisters, he quickly stepped up towards them. Or at least, moved as quickly as he could without slipping over his wet feet. He left a very undignified wet trail on the floor as he walked.

When he got near them, he put his left hand on the edge of the sofa Motoko was sitting on to steady himself. He then looked towards Motoko and asked in a worried tone, "Motoko, are you alright? Did you get hurt?"

Motoko wasn't really sure what to say. She blinked twice and looked at him again. There was silence for a few moments before she realized that he was waiting for her reply. Having been under her sister's wrath, even if only for a short while she stammered back, "I-I .. well, …"

Keitaro didn't wait for her to finish. As soon as she started talking, he waved his hand in front of her face and said in a reassuring voice, "Oh that's good. I got worried when I didn't see you anywhere."

Surprised at the sudden turn of events Tsuruko raised one of her eyebrows. 'What is he trying to do here?' she wondered to herself. Out loud she asked, "Keitaro, whatever gave you the idea that Motoko would not be alright?" directing the question towards the wet individual. Then to emphasize the situation he interrupted she added, "It isn't like she did something that would justify her getting hurt, now is it?"

Keitaro warily turned towards Tsuruko's direction. It would take a blind idiot not to realize that the situation was turning volatile! He visibly gulped before he replied, "After you stepped out Tsuruko-san, one of the pipes in the hot spring exploded and I was thrown away. When I got to my senses Motoko who was near the area was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, I got concerned and came looking for her."

He then waved his hand in Motoko's direction and continued, "And I am glad to find that when I arrived here, she is alright!". He then raised his other hand and scratched his nose mumbling, "he, he!"

Everyone in the room knew that it was a lie. They had all been sitting in the same spot and there were no 'pipes' to break in that area. Besides, consider the wording that Keitaro used, it was obvious that his interest was on something else entirely. He also didn't put in much effort into making it seem believable. Considering that he was in the presence of two kendo experts his body language literally screamed that he was acting. And to top it off, he even gave a small laugh while he scratched his nose. It was as if he was indirectly telling Tsuruko that he knew that she was aware that he was fibbing, but decided to go on with it anyway.

Motoko just blinked and stared at her fiancé. 'Just what was he trying to do here? Get punished as well?' she thought to herself. 'There was no way Tsuruko would believe that story! And why did he even bother anyway?' Her mind was slowly beginning to spin in confusion at the situation and she opted to just continue staring at her two housemates instead.

Tsuruko looked at Keitaro's eyes and stared at him for a few moments. She knew why he was here and what he was trying to do. But couldn't he have tried something else more believable instead? Still she had to work with the current situation and not pretend as if it didn't exist. Tsuruko considered calling his bluff. Then she gave the situation a bit more thought.

Finally she let out a breath she was holding and lowered her arms from under her chest. She visibly relaxed indicating that she decided to play along.

Smiling at Keitaro she told him, "What a concerned fiancé my sister has got! Ano … as you can see Keitaro, Motoko is unharmed and it is very unlikely that anything will happen to her because of the incident in the hot spring. You can relax."

Keitaro visibly relaxed and slumped down his shoulders, now that the atmosphere was no longer weighing down on him. Tsuruko on the other hand decided that it wasn't appropriate that he should have lied to her. With a small smirk on her face she faced him and said, "Now, I have some other matters I need to discuss with my sister here. And unless you plan on seducing a married woman right in front of your own fiancée, I would suggest that you cover yourself."

Keitaro blinked when he hear her. He then felt a bit cold and realized that all he had on was a wet towel. A small blush began to grow on his face when he realized what Tsuruko was implying. He shook his head to reject her offer and walked back to the bathroom to dry and dress himself.

Motoko's hands had fallen to her sides when she realized what had just happened. She blinked a few times. The situation was just unbelievable! Her sister actually decided to play along with that? Not wanting to make the situation worse she decided to stay quiet.

Then she noticed that Tsuruko was gesturing to the room they shared. It was obvious that she had something else on her mind. Puzzled, Motoko followed her.

* * *

_**Tsuruko & Motoko's room**_

Motoko had seated herself on the floor opposite to her sister. She didn't know why her sister wanted to talk to her, now that the earlier situation was resolved. Curious, she faced her sister with a blank expression on her face waiting for her to start the conversation.

Tsuruko sat relaxed and faced Motoko. While she decided not to punish her, she knew that she had to follow up on her earlier decision - namely to have a talk with Motoko about relationships. The problem was that it was awkward to start!

"Ano … Motoko. I find myself stumped. I'm not really sure how to discuss this with you." Tsuruko started out.

"What is there to be stumped about? I'll listen to whatever you have to say Aneue." responded Motoko.

Tsuruko took a deep breath. 'Might as well start.' she said to herself. "Motoko what is your opinion of a typical perverted male?"

Motoko blinked. That was not what she was expecting. "I do not have any opinion of them at all ! And you should know that. They are _vile _scum who want to do nothing more than harass and take what they want from a woman!"

A bit hesitant about what she was going to do Tsuruko asked, "But what if you found yourself trapped or stuck in a position where you could not defend yourself? What do you think a pervert would want from you?"

Motoko gave a small shudder as she thought about it. That would indeed be a nightmare! She wrapped her arms around her chest and hugged herself. "My body, of course! What else would they desire? I need to protect it at all costs!" she exclaimed.

"And are you selfishly defending just yourself?" prodded Tsuruko.

Motoko didn't know what to make of the conversation. She replied nonetheless, "Of course not! If I were taken against my will, it would reflect badly on my family and I cannot allow our honor to be stained like that."

"And is it just your honor and dignity that you are trying to protect?" continued Tsuruko.

"There is more to it than that. My utmost priority is to keep myself pure!" responded Motoko bringing her hands down to her sides.

"For whom are you doing it?" asked Tsuruko, glad that the conversation was finally heading in a productive direction.

"My future husband, of course!" answered Motoko.

"What about before he becomes your husband?" prodded Tsuruko in a gentle voice.

"Obviously my fiancé can have me! What difference does it make?" replied Motoko, more than a little annoyed with all the silly questions.

There was a small moment of silence after that. Then it stretched on for a minute. Then two. And then three. Tsuruko was certain that she heard a few crickets chirping in the background. After what seemed like forever,

"... oh!" said Motoko in a small and soft voice widening her eyes in realization.

Tsuruko continued to look at her sister with her lips pressed. She silently shook her head.

"And that is what I wanted to tell you. Think long and hard about it, my imouto." said Tsuruko as she got up and left the room.

* * *

_**In a train leaving Tokyo**_

Tsuruko was sitting in her compartment and enjoying the scenery fly by. It had been a few days since the last 'incident'. Nothing worth mentioning had occurred in that time, though she felt that she had caught Motoko peeking at Keitaro occasionally. Not in the hot springs, of course. They didn't bathe together again in the time she remained in the Hinata Sou. But on occasion when Keitaro was busy cooking or even reading something, she felt that Motoko would glance in his direction from time to time.

It was time that she returned to the Aoyama compound, so a few hours ago she said her goodbyes to the young couple and had boarded the train home. It would be some time before she reached her destination and Tsuruko decided to spend her time productively by reviewing events over the past few days.

When they initially came to Tokyo the first few meetings were a mess. Sure, the boys seemed alright, but Tsuruko quickly caught the hidden intents they had - when the bedroom activities would be over, Motoko would be left to fend for herself. Those meetings quickly came to an end.

She would be ever grateful to Maehara-san for reintroducing them to the Urashima family. It had been a long time and Tsuruko had forgotten about them. Some of the her family might have been right when they said that they needed to forge new relationships with magi. It was fortunate that Tsuruko kept good council when it came to clan affairs!

Keitaro seemed like a good candidate. One of the first impressions she had of him was that he was a very responsible individual. The kind who could be depended upon. And when raising a family, it was vital that the wife be able to depend on her husband and vice-versa. She was very impressed when he openly admitted that it was only because of family obligations that he was going through with the engagement. There weren't too many of those around in this day and age who valued duty. Tsuruko considered herself fortunate that her own husband was the same. She considered it especially fortunate that she was able to find Keitaro for Motoko.

Of course, it was that very quality that made Tsuruko worry about Keitaro. While he would take care of her sister, she didn't want Motoko to live an empty life. Marriage was all about love and Keitaro initially seemed a bit too stuffy. For that matter, he still seemed stuffy! But, in spite of that at least he was showing some real concern for Motoko.

Wait.

Tsuruko sat up a bit straighter and blinked her eyes. Why didn't she notice it before? Tsuruko considered herself to be a good judge of character and was usually proven right. She thought back to all the incidents she remembered of Keitaro. She smiled as she realized that there was no reason for her to have worried in the first place! All that effort was redundant!

She threw her head back and laughed out loud. Some of the other passengers turned to look at her wondering what was going on. She waved them aside. Getting her giggling under control she brought her hand to cover her mouth. If anyone looked at her straight, they would have seen that her eyes were sparkling in mirth.

It was really ironic that she didn't realize the situation sooner. Probably it was because she was involved from the beginning and didn't notice the subtle changes as they appeared. But now as she was sitting and returning back home in the train, she recognized it for what it was. Her ride back home suddenly became a lot more pleasant.

The primary thought running over her mind was this:

'_Keitaro was already in love with her sister Motoko - He just wasn't consciously aware of it !'_

* * *

_Coming Up Next "Young Girl joins up"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	7. Young Girl joins up

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_Dear me! It's been more than a month (possibly two) since I updated this story. That really isn't saying much about the regularity of my updates, now is it? The biggest distraction I had were the STEAM summer sales. After I bought my games, I lost track of how long I was playing them. That and a lot of real life issues delayed me.

On the good side, I'm getting back into my writing groove and while this chapter is a bit (it's less than 10000 words !) smaller than the earlier ones, rest assured folks, you can expect the next update to come a lot sooner. Speaking of which, was the last chapter disappointing? Some of my regular reviewers haven't said anything about it. Makes me a bit worried.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the following individuals from TFF for beta-reading this chapter and helping me with corrections - **Without Remorse, EagleCeres, rukia8492**

This chapter has gone through at least 2 major drafts and I'm very grateful to my betas for their help and suggestions. Thanks alot guys!

_-chronodekar  
_(3/September/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima (20 years old), a mage-in-training has agreed to 'try out' an engagement with Motoko Aoyama (19 years old) a master of the Shinmei-ryu style of kenjutsu. They will formally decided within the next 4 months if they should continue onto a marriage or not. In the meantime, Keitaro is pursuing a dual-degree program while Motoko is preparing for a second attempt at the Toudai entrance exam (she failed the first time).

The two of them first met while trying to exorcise a demon who had partially possessed a young girl called Shinobu Maehara (12 years old). Since then Shinobu has helped them by participating in the Yuino ceremony to formalize their engagement.

Keitaro has been tasked with taking care of the Hinata Inn, ancestral property of the Urashima family and Motoko has been living with him since the engagement. She is currently searching (with her fiancé's assistance) for a private coaching (tutoring) center to prepare for her exams.

Grandmother Hina (Keitaro's grandmother) and Tsuruko Aoyama (Motoko's elder sister) were staying with them until recently.

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 07)

_Young Girl joins up_

* * *

_**Motoko's room, Hinata Inn**_

Motoko was having a hard time falling asleep. She tried resting on her left side. That didn't seem to solve anything so she turned around and tried sleeping on her right side. Unfortunately she twisted herself a bit too fast and ended up poking herself in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ow!" she complained to herself. She shot her arm out from under her and tried sleeping it with the hand over her head. It wasn't any more comfortable so she decided to stop sleeping on her side and try resting on her back. The result was that she ended up staring at the ceiling fan. It was spinning at a comfortable speed and she could feel the breeze it created on her face.

Thinking about the breeze made her feel cold, so she pulled up her blanket and tried snuggling inside it. A few minutes later, she threw it to the side muttering about how hot it was under it. Not in a rational mood, she decided that it was too hot to be wearing anything and threw off her pajama top to the side as well. She brought her hands to her back and was about to take off her bra when she remembered that there was a male in the house with her. True her room was locked, but with those creatures one could never be too sure …

Motoko then stopped that line of thought and recalled something that she had confessed to her sister a few days ago,

'_Obviously my fiancé can have me!'_

She found herself turning to face the side wall. There was large ceiling length mirror hung on it which covered a third of the wall. The other two thirds of the wall was occupied by a large cupboard. It was where she kept most of her clothes. Her fiancé's bedroom was behind that wall. Which meant that Keitaro should be sleeping right now. And if Keitaro was sleeping, it meant that he would not be doing … anything. Other than sleeping.

'Yes', Motoko nodded to herself. There was nothing to worry about. Tsuruko had left earlier that day and it was the first night Motoko would be sleeping in the Hinata Inn by herself. And Keitaro was the only other person in the Inn. There was nothing to be concerned about.

Unfortunately, she couldn't calm down. Deciding that it was a lost cause trying to sleep with her thoughts in disarray, Motoko decided to jump out of bed, pick up her bokken and start a few simple warm up exercises in her room. Nothing fancy or complicated, just to tire her out. Then she could get back to sleep.

She had just finished the first swing when she stopped. Doing exercises in her room in the middle of the night? She felt foolish for even attempting it. Angrily Motoko threw aside the bokken and started pacing around the room.

'Why is it so hard to fall asleep tonight !?' she asked herself for the umpteenth time. She was now growling in frustration and her mood was deteriorating. Fortunately, her Shinmei-ryu training kicked in and she realized that she was being irrational. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.

'I think I'll go to the kitchen and get a glass of cold milk from the fridge.' she thought to herself, 'A cool drink should get me drowsy and the walk through the house will confirm that Keitaro is not prowling around and is indeed sleeping in his room.'

Plan in mind, she unlocked the door to her room and poked her head out into the hallway. She looked left and then right. It was clear. The lights were off, but thanks to the moonlight streaming in through the windows she could navigate easily enough. There was no-one around. And the door to her fiancé's bedroom appeared to be closed.

'Good.' she mentally commented, 'He's behaving himself.'

Not wanting to make any noise she slowly crept into the living room and had just walked up near the dining table when she spotted some movement in the kitchen. Immediately she tensed up and became more alert.

'Do we have a burglar in the house?' she wondered.

Motoko slowly crept up towards the kitchen and peeked inside. She was surprised to find her fiancé sitting in front of the table with his back turned towards her.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Keitaro was having a very hard time. He couldn't sleep and after spending some time agonizing on his bed he decided to come to the kitchen for a drink of water. He always kept some water in his room but he finished that a long time ago and after a bathroom break, he felt that he needed more. It wasn't that he was really thirsty, but just wanted to do something to get back to sleep. So far nothing was working.

He was in his blue pajamas and had placed his bathrobe on the chair before sitting down. His forehead was on the table and he tried banging the table a few times with his left hand.

"Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT !" he mumbled to himself.

Then raising his head and looking at the ceiling he said aloud, "Damn you Tsuruko-san ! I can't sleep at all now thanks to you !"

He then poured himself another glass of water and drank in down in one big gulp. He then just stared at the fridge and complained out to the device, "I envy you. All you need to do is sit around and keep things cool. At least YOU don't have feelings. YOU don't have potential sister-in-law's coming by and telling you unwanted things before leaving !"

He then turned towards the stove near by and said, "You too. You just take in gas and heat things for us. Ah! Such an easy life ! I wonder if that was what Tsuruko-san had in mind when she said that to me."

Next he turned to the toaster sitting next to the stove. "It's easy with you. I just put bread in and a few minutes later you give me toast. So easy. Just initiate the process and wait for the results. At least it's tasty toast we get. I like toast. With butter. Jam works too - but not always. It depends on the mood."

He then blinked and looked at the toaster again. It seemed that it asked him what was wrong. "Hm? I must be hallucinating. Did toaster-chan just want to know what's wrong with me?"

Turning to the fridge he spoke to it, "Oh, you too fridge-kun? Well, I think I'm going crazy. I mean I want to go to Motoko now but I can't, right? Perhaps this is a dream. Ah, that's good. At least it means I'm sleeping. Sleeping is good. I need sleep."

Keitaro then blinked and turned to the stove. "You think I should pinch myself stove-chan? Hmm.. yeah, it would be best. Heh." He trailed the last part out.

"Ouch!" yelped Keitaro as he pinched himself. "Well, it looks like I'm awake now." He turned to the appliances in the kitchen. "Looks like everyone's quiet. Guess you guys are really concerned about me, aren't you?."

Keitaro then glanced out the window and gazed at the stars. He said aloud, "I wish Motoko was here. Then perhaps I could take her …" as he trailed off the last part he suddenly realized what he just said. Immediately he splashed a glass of water on his face and rapidly shook his head.

"no, no, no, NO !" he paused and shook his head some more. "Bad thoughts, get out of my head ! I shouldn't be thinking about a girl like _that !_ What will she think of me? We're just fiancées after all …"

Keitaro paused a bit.

He then suddenly brought both his hands to the sides of his head and began shaking it even more this time. "AARRRGGGH ! This is getting worse ! Tsuruko-san, why did you leave?"

Mumbling to himself he asked, "Grandma, I can't sleep …?"

* * *

_**Just outside the kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Motoko looked on with a confused expression on her face. On one hand, she suspicions had just been confirmed - her fiancé was indeed a perverted male! On the other hand, he was busy talking to different kitchen appliances and apparently engaged in active conversation with them. And then what was all that about Tsuruko?

It didn't seem that he noticed she was there and wanting to know more she decided to come up and ask him. Motoko stepped into the kitchen and walked up behind Keitaro and asked, "What did Aneue tell you before she left?"

From mumbling to the table, Keitaro raised his head and looked at the ceiling. He then replied, "Well, it looks like I've finally gone off the deep end. I'm actually hearing Motoko's voice now. You want to know what Tsuruko-san told me? Well, just before we said goodbye she took me to the side and told me that you would be all alone in your bedroom tonight. And she told me that I should keep you company as '_the man of the house_' to quote her."

Motoko blinked when she heard that. Considering how Aneue was behaving recently, it wasn't too surprising. Then she decided to take a risk and ask the obvious,

"So why haven't you come to my room yet?"

"Ouch !" replied Keitaro as he pinched himself. "Damn, that really hurt ! And I'm still hearing Motoko. This is one persistent hallucination …" he trailed off as he turned behind to face her.

"Gack !" he yelped in a manly squeak. "Motoko, y-y-you … since when have you been standing there? Did you come to spy on me? Wait, does that mean you heard me earlier? No, please don't leave me Motoko !" he continued as he began to panic.

Motoko wasn't really sure what to do in the current situation. She wanted to ask Keitaro some questions but now he was hyperventilating and panicking. He was spouting nonsense and … it was oddly amusing and cute to watch. Still, it wasn't getting either of them anywhere and so she decided to get physical.

She bopped him on the head.

He shut up immediately. The response was so quick that Motoko was surprised. She then took out a chair nearby and sat next to him, turning the seat so that she could sit facing him.

She looked at him. He looked back at her. He then blushed and looked to the side onto the table instead. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Well ? Aren't you going to answer my question?"

Keitaro blinked and looked at her face. How could he not blush while looking at her like that? He then shook his head and asked, "Umm... can you repeat the question? I've not exactly been paying close attention these past few minutes."

Motoko then looked at him with a sleepy expression and repeated, "I asked you .." she paused and shook herself in a shiver. "Brr.. why is it so cold here?" she commented instead. In response Keitaro stood up and towered over her. He had an interesting look in his eye. Motoko was beginning to have doubts if he would do something to her. Then, he took his bathrobe from the chair and draped it over her.

She then realised that to him, all she had on was her bra and pajama pants ! She blushed in embarrassment and wrapped his bathrobe tighter around her body. After he sat down she tried again, "Why haven't you tried to come into my room tonight?"

Keitaro blinked and stared at her. He then slowly asked, "Does .. does that mean you _wanted_ me to come over?"

"No!" Motoko replied. It sounded a bit more forceful that she meant it. Keitaro seemed to deflate and appeared really disappointed on hearing that answer. And, if she wasn't imagining it, he also seemed relieved as well? It didn't make sense to her.

"Well, there's the simple answer - I didn't know if you would appreciate it or not." Keitaro said. He then gave a long sigh before continuing.

"But frankly, I'm not sure if I wanted to come either." Motoko gave his a dubious look. He continued, "Look Motoko, it's not easy for me to explain, but … I'm not sure how to say this either."

"Try anyway. I want to hear what you have to say." she prodded him on.

He took another big sigh before continuing, "Well, let's start with the obvious. As a _man_ I really like you. Motoko, you are a very attractive woman and … to be blunt, I want to go to bed with you. And not just to sleep, but as _man and woman_."

Keitaro blushed beet red after saying that. When he looked towards his fiancée, she was the same as well. Gaining some courage from their mutual embarrassment he continued,

"But as Keitaro Urashima, I just don't know what I want with you. I'm not saying that I hate you or anything, but … I don't know if I'm ready to embrace you into my life Motoko."

She wasn't sure why, but Motoko felt her heart start cracking when she heard that. Did he feel _nothing_ for her, other than lust? Even more hesitant than before she asked in a soft voice, "Then do you want me to leave?"

This time it was Keitaro who felt like a knife was stabbed through his chest. He looked at her with a stunned expression and quickly said, "Please don't ! If there is one thing I do know - it's that I'll really miss you if you leave."

That made her feel better. They sat there in silence for a few more minutes until Keitaro asked,

"What about you? How do you feel about me?"

She blinked at him and was a bit hesitant to answer. Noticing her hesitation he quickly added, "You don't need to answer that if you don't want to. I understand." he said the last bit in a defeated voice.

She shook her head sideways rejecting that. "No, you deserve to know." She then took a deep breath and said, "I think it's kind-of the same for me too. When I start thinking about love, you are the first person to enter my mind, but when I try to think further, it's like a brick wall in my mind that won't let me proceed. Then, I get angry because you are male. Does .. that make any sense to you?"

Keitaro grimaced and replied, "I think it's even more confusing than my explanation. Then again, look who's talking - the guy who speaks with fridge-kun and toaster-chan for relationship advice."

They both chuckled at that.

Motoko looked up at the clock in the kitchen and said, "We'd better get back to bed now. I think I'm feeling sleepy". And to reinforce what she was feeling, she yawned. It was infectious and Keitaro yawned as well. They both got up and walked back to their respective bedrooms in silence.

When they stood in the hallway leading to the bedrooms, Motoko turned towards Keitaro and asked, "I know you said you are not ready to embrace me into your life, but do you think you could embrace me in the hallway?" Her cheeks gave away a small blush.

Shrugging his shoulders Keitaro approached his fiancée and gave her a hug. It wasn't a passionate or even a romantic hug, but it comforted the both of them. Smiling at each other they turned to their respective bedrooms.

Before they slept, both wondered if their relationship had taken a step forward or a step backward. It felt like something happened, but neither could decide in what direction.

* * *

_**Abandoned Building, Old Industrial Section**_

Hikaru Gosunkugi was not having a good time. It had been a few days since the failed robbery and time hadn't been kind to him. Most of the equipment for that heist was bought on loan and it was almost time for repayment. If he had spent the last few days resting, it would have been a really bad situation for him. However one the lessons he learned in school was to never sit around doing nothing. He had his old crush to thank for that.

Back in his school days there was a girl he liked. She was his goddess. She also didn't know he existed. For most people a simple remedy to the situation would be to introduce oneself to said girl. However for Gosunkugi there was a small problem. The girl was already engaged ! And to top it off she was still surrounded by so many other strong males. Why would she ever pay any attention to a weakling like Gosunkugi? It wasn't until he accidentally stumbled onto a strength-enhancing suit did she even acknowledge he was a part of her class!

Former love interests aside, the incident taught Gosunkugi an important lesson - it's never a good idea to sit on the sidelines watching. At least, if there's something you can do immediately. How he came to that conclusion remains a mystery to any who hear him talk. Most just assume that it's just another case where wrong assumptions lead to the correct answer. Or in this case to a good life lesson.

Gosunkugi didn't waste time after he rescued his two underlings. As soon as they were ready, he set about training them in the fine art of pickpocketing. The result over the past few days was that they had gathered a large number of wallets, watches, handbags, rings and mysteriously enough someone's panties. A key point in pickpocketing is that the target should remain unaware that they were robbed. Yet, how that last item was acquired … Gosunkugi felt it best not to ask. He didn't want his opinion of modern Japanese women lowered any more than it already was.

At the moment, he was in a old abandoned building. It was past midnight and his contact was expected to arrive soon. The first time Gosunkugi met this contact, he was freaked out. The guy (or gal) never removed the grey fedora hat he/she wore. The individual had a black scarf wrapped around his/her face and spoke through an obvious voice scrambler. He/she would usually have a white or dark green trench coat that would fall to just above the shoe-level so that it wouldn't drag when he/she walked. The individual also wore black rubber boots - the kind you usually wear when walking in the rain. The individual simple wished to be called 'Gray'. Gray was one of the best fences Gosunkugi knew - people who would buy/sell stolen goods. Gray was also the one who loaned Gosunkugi the funds needed to pull off the failed robbery and it was time to repay the loan.

Fortunately Gray accepted goods in kind as well - which was why Gosunkugi didn't bother to liquidate his 'assets'.

A few minutes later Gosunkugi head the tell-tale footsteps of someone approaching his location. He looked up and was not surprised to see Gray walking towards him. It looked like tonight was a white trench coat day. When Gray was close enough Gosunkugi dumped the goods on the table nearby. Gray bent down to inspect the items.

"Hmmm..." Gray commented, "While this does cover your payment - I'm surprised. I was expecting some more clothing material instead."

Gosunkugi spat to the side. He then looked towards Gray and said, "Screwed up. There were some ninjas or the like in the crowd that day and we barely made it out in one piece. Didn't you read the news?"

Gray made a hissing sound as he/she took a deep breath. "Oh, that was you? It was reported that no-one was caught. I would have expected _someone _to be arrested by now." he said.

Gosunkugi grimaced when he replied, "They nearly did. I had to knock out two police officers over the past few days."

Gray looked towards Gosunkugi as if he was seeing him in a different light. "Hmmm... you deserve more credit than I give you. Are you interested in a high-reward … transaction?"

Gosunkugi blinked at that. Gray didn't seem to be the kind to propose deals like that. Usually it would be just money or related stuff. But a job? Well, funds were low and he needed the money. In a low voice he asked, "What kind of 'transaction' are we talking about here?"

Gray raised his/her right hand and held it flat over the table. He/she was wearing a dark blue glove with spikes popping in and out so much that it was hard to tell what kind of a hand was in it. He/she then mumbled something softly and a circle began to glow green on the table. A few moments later the water in the area began to collect inside the circle. The water then rose above the table and formed a perfect sphere the size of a ping pong ball. It was pure water that was floating. It was crystal clean and Gosunkugi couldn't help but be impressed when he saw it. He recalled his own partially successful attempts at magic.

Gray then withdrew his/her hand and the ball fell onto the table making a small splash.

"It involves a bit of THIS. Are you familiar with the thaumaturgical arts?" Gray directed in Gosunkugi's direction.

"Let's just say that I've had my fair share. If you want to make a spell, then find someone else. But, if it's just about using a magical device, I can handle the job. But I need details first before I accept." Gosunkugi replied.

Gray seemed to smile in a sinister way when he heard this. He/she then tossed an old scroll towards Gosunkugi, who immediately caught it and opened it up. Gray then continued, "My … associates require _live _magical specimens. That scroll should help you locate worthwhile individuals. You can use whatever means you deem necessary. All we care is that the specimens be delivered into the dumpster mentioned on the accompanying document. Your fee for each delivery will appear inside a cardboard box located near the delivery site. It's all handled magically, so do NOT attempt to trace the money back to us."

"How many specimens do you need?" Gosunkugi asked bringing up his right hand under his chin to give the deal some thought.

"At a bare minimum, just one. But we will gladly pay you for more. If you wish to quit, just burn the scroll any time after you've delivered the first." Gray replied.

Gosunkugi nodded accepting the deal. When he looked up Gray was nowhere to be seen. He spat again on the side before leaving the building. These were his thoughts as he left,

"Never really thought I'd accept this kind of a deal. Not my usual style. Oh well, there's always a first time for everything. Even kidnapping."

* * *

_**The next morning, Hinata kitchen**_

Keitaro was in for a surprise when he stepped into the kitchen. He was wondering if toast would be enough for breakfast when he spotted Motoko sitting in front of the kitchen table waiting for him.

"Good morning Motoko ! Not that I'm complaining, but don't you normally have morning exercises to do right now?" he asked her.

She smiled as she replied, "Good morning to you too." She then took a deep breath and gestured for him to sit down. "Please have a seat, there are some things we need to discuss."

Keitaro blinked as he looked at her. 'Is this some continuation from last night?' he thought to himself in a worried manner. Obediently, he sat down across her and made himself comfortable on the chair.

"What this all about Motoko?" he asked with obvious concern.

"I woke up very early today and have been meditating about the situation. About _us_." she replied and with her right pointer finger, first pointed to her fiancé and then to herself. She continued, "I want to make it work. And to do that I need something from you. Or rather, I need you to accept something." She then looked at him.

Puzzled he replied (scratching his head), "I'm not sure I follow you. I mean, you know very well that I want to make it work too and … well, what does this have to do with our morning breakfast? If you prefer something specific, I can cook it for you."

She made as sound as she brought her palm on the table. It wasn't loud, but she wanted to make a point. "That's exactly it! You can cook something! You can do the laundry! You can do the shopping! In fact, you do everything around here!" she said as she accused him.

Motoko then took a breath and composed herself before continuing, "Then what is left for me to do? Tell me Keitaro, how do you see me? You already answered a bit yesterday night, but I want to try and expand that a little."

Keitaro was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. And he was feeling confused as well. Slowly he answered, "Er, .. Um... Well, you are a very skilled fighter. I've seen you in action and you can easily pin me down if you choose to. And of course, you are a very pretty woman. Umm .." he trailed off as he wasn't sure what else to say. Don't women like being called pretty? What else did she want him to say?

Motoko looked down at the table and sighed. She then looked up to him with a flat expression and said, "And that's it?" She then got up from her chair, walked around the table to him and stood near his side. She then placed her left hand on her hip and right hand extending outwards, with the right palm facing upwards and asked with a bit of force in her voice, "Is that all I am to you? A competent fighter and a pretty baby-maker?"

She was surprised on seeing the change in expression on her fiancé's face. He became very pale and his eyes shrunk back, as if he was reliving some nightmare. He asked with a quiver in his voice, "B-B-Babies? As in human infants?"

This time it was Motoko who was confused. With one eyebrow raised and in a puzzled voice she replied, "Duh. What else? Or do I look like some kind of plant? I clearly remember you saying something along those lines yesterday night."

Keitaro blinked and got a bit of complexion back to his face. He quickly shook his head left and right to answer, "No, NO! Please don't think that way. It's the _last_ thing on my mind ! I respect you a lot more than that !" He had brought up his hands and was shaking his palms to reinforce what he was saying.

Motoko looked at him with a deadpanned expression. She narrowed her eyes and asked in a low voice, "So what _are_ you trying to tell me? That I'm just some girl-toy for you play with?"

Keitaro looked hurt when he heard the accusation. With a saddened expression on his face he replied, "Honestly Motoko, I haven't thought that far. And frankly, if you were just a girl-toy for me, don't you think I would have done something more than a simple hug last night?"

She just pressed her lips and replied, "Hmmm..."

Keitaro the blinked as if he realized something. Facing her he asked, "Wait, does that mean you want to become a mother? Is that what this discussion is all about?"

She blushed and denied it. "NO! … Well, maybe in a few more years but not anytime soon." She then blinked her eyes and _looked_ at her fiancé.

She decided to take a guess, "Keitaro, … you aren't afraid of human babies, are you?"

His body went very rigid at the question. Without opening his mouth he nodded his head.

Motoko brought her right hand to her forehead in a semi-facepalm expression. "Good grief!" she exclaimed. She then shook her head and continued, "We can discuss the issue later. Right now, I'm beginning to feel hungry."

Keitaro got up from his chair, happy that the conversation was over. "Well, just give me a few minutes and I'll whip something up." He was surprised when Motoko pushed him back down onto the seat.

"NO! As a matter of fact, this is the reason why I wanted to talk to you in the first place." She then stood in front on him with her legs spread out and her arms crossed under her chest.

"Keitaro Urashima. I appreciate you doing all the housework, but my pride will not allow me to let you keep doing it all by yourself. We are supposed to be engaged and that means sharing each others burdens. I insist that you let me do my share, starting with today's breakfast !" she demanded of him in a stern voice.

Keitaro frowned when he heard her. It was his kitchen and he was worried about it. Still, he knew a losing argument when he saw it. Besides, she was correct as well - he could admit to himself. Taking a deep breath he replied, "Alright, but you need to be careful of my kitchen ! I don't want you making a mess of it !"

She smiled and responded with a small twinkle in her eye, "Don't worry, stove-chan is in good hands." Then she turned around and began spinning her right arm. She continued, "Let me show you what it means to be disciplined in the Shinmei-ryu style !"

Keitaro sweat-dropped on seeing her movements. He gave a silent prayer for his kitchen.

They had miso soup for breakfast. It was well made and good to eat. She wasn't as good as him, but he had to admit - Motoko was a good cook. And for all her spinning around in the kitchen, she knew what she was doing. The fact that the kitchen wasn't harmed in anyway was all Keitaro needed to see to permit her to freely use the kitchen from then on.

* * *

_**Later that afternoon**_

Motoko stretched her left arm upwards and held it up with her right hand while she straightened her back. She was standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the Preparatory school she just joined and Keitaro was a walking down a few steps behind her.

"That went a lot smoother than I expected ! Thanks so much for your help Keitaro." Motoko directed towards her fiancé as she resumed walking away from the building.

Carrying a suitcase full of papers Keitaro followed behind her and replied, "Eh, it wasn't that big a deal. I'm kind-of used to dealing with paperwork anyway."

"Still, by myself it would have taken hours - assuming that I convinced them to accept me." responded Motoko. "What should we do now? It looks like I have a weekend before the classes officially start."

"For now, I'm tired. There's a park around the next corner. Let's rest there for a while before heading off to lunch? I could use some fresh air." suggested her fiancé.

Motoko nodded her head to affirm and they proceeded at a brisk pace to the park. They found an empty bench and relaxed into it. Before long they began some small-talk about the different people who were visiting the park that day.

"That man over there looks like he has his hands full with those three dogs."

"The woman beyond the fountain appears tired."

"Look at those children playing over there?"

"Why do you think that dark blue haired girl is sitting by herself over there?"

"I don't know but if I were to guess, it appears as if she's crying. Poor thing."

"Wait … doesn't that look like Shinobu?"

The two of them looked towards each other and without a word came to an agreement. They got up and walked to the bench where Shinobu was sitting.

* * *

Shinobu was devastated. Why did life have to be so hard on her? She had just started enjoying things when her mother had to make that dreadful announcement ! True, it wasn't her fault and there was nothing she could do about it. Shinobu knew it was irrational to think so, but she couldn't help the way she was feeling.

'It just wasn't fair ! Why , WHy , WHY ?', she thought to herself.

She had just run away from her mother in a fit of emotions. It wasn't the first time she did, but they had agreed that if Shinobu needed to be by herself for some time the park would be a safe place.

Admittedly, it _was _the first time she came here to cry. And that would probably get her mother upset. Or worried. Or … or _something!_ Shinobu knew it was selfish of her to think so, but … what else was she to do? It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter now was it?

Feeling even more miserable for making her mother worry, Shinobu brought her hands to her face to hide her tears. She began to sob even more.

'Why is this happening to me?', she complained to herself. She then closed her eyes and began to think more miserable thoughts. 'WHY?' she kept asking herself.

She then felt the presence of people standing in front of her. Oh no! Why did they have to come and see her in this state? Shinobu whimpered to herself. She didn't want to see anyone right now ! She hunched herself a bit more and tried to bury her head into her hands.

'Hopefully they'll go away...', she thought to herself.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Instead Shinobu felt two people sit down right next to her - one on her left side and another on her right.

'Are … are these bad people?', Shinobu asked herself. 'I should have sat in a more secluded spot.' she complained to herself.

She then rolled herself into a ball and began to chant a mantra to herself in her head, 'Please don't do anything bad to me. Please don't do anything bad to me. Please don't do anything bad to me...'

Needless to say, she was visibly quivering.

* * *

It was obvious to the pair that sitting next to her was making the situation worse. Motoko looked over Shinobu's head towards her fiancé and got his silent approval. She wanted to pat the crying girl's back, but felt that it was a bit too early for that move. Instead she opted to open the dialog.

"Shinobu-chan? It's Keitaro and me. Please don't be scared.", Motoko spoke in a soft voice trying to placate the young girl.

On hearing the voice Shinobu froze. She then lowered her hands from her face and slowly turned towards the voice. Her face lit up recognition when she saw Motoko. She then turned in the opposite direction and saw Keitaro sitting on the other side. She then stopped quivering.

Suddenly turning back towards Motoko she grabbed her by the sides and started wailing into her chest.

"It isn't fair !" Shinobu cried with tears coming from her eyes.

Motoko's eyes widened in surprise by the sudden movement. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation. She nervously looked towards Keitaro who was silently making suggestions with his hands. Taking a deep breath, Motoko composed herself. She then raised her hand and started rubbing Shinobu's back.

"There, there, Shinobu-chan. Try to get a hold of yourself. You won't be able to solve anything this way …"

It took them some time, but eventually Shinobu calmed down. She separated herself from Motoko and sat back down between them.

Keitaro decided to take the opportunity to enter the picture. He suggested, "Do you want to talk to us about it?"

Before the young girl could respond a loud rumbling sound erupted from her stomach. Shinobu covered her belly with both hands and her face lit up with embarrassment.

Keitaro threw his head back and gave a soft laugh. He wasn't belittling her, but rather trying to bring some humor into the picture. Then facing Shinobu he suggested, "We were going to eat lunch ourselves. Care to join us?"

Not wanting to risk humiliating herself any further Shinobu just nodded her head.

* * *

_**Nearby restaurant**_

The three of them had sat down in front of a free table when the waiter came over with the menus. It was a decent restaurant and they were sitting in front of a round table that could accommodate 5 people. There were some salt/pepper containers in the center of the table and tissues were provided for each of the guests.

"Hmm... let's get some food in ourselves first. Can you bring some green salad? We'll order our main course after we've eaten that." said Keitaro to the waiter. The man agreed and departed to the kitchen. In a few moments they had a nice bowl of salad in front of them and everyone was nibbling a bit of it.

"You know, I sometimes find these taste a lot better with vinegar or chilli sauce." commented Motoko.

Keitaro raised an eyebrow and replied, "Really? I've never tried that combo before." He then stretched out his hand for the sauce.

Shinobu opted to just sprinkle her greens with salt and quietly ate her share. In a few minutes the salad was finished and they were ready to order the main course.

"Shinobu-chan, does your mother know you are here?" asked Motoko suddenly.

"Ah! Mama would expect me to be in the park. She would get so worried if she doesn't find me there !" exclaimed Shinobu with worry in her voice.

"Calm down. We didn't exactly bring you here for any nefarious purposes anyway. And don't worry I'll call her up right now." said Keitaro as he picked up his mobile phone and started dialing a number.

After a bit of conversation, he switched it off and addressed the girls in front of him, "Well I convinced her to join us here. So we'll need to order for one more. She'll have missed the appetizer, but I don't think it matters right now does it?"

And so they ordered lunch for 4 people. After a small while Shinobu's mother, Maehara-san came into the restaurant and after looking around, she spotted their table and came up to them. Motoko moved from her seat to allow Maehara-san to sit next to her daughter. As for herself, she moved beside her fiancé. Shinobu ended up sitting between her mother and Keitaro.

"Really now! I'm happy to see that you decided to give my cupcake some company, but I think it's a bit much to invite us for lunch like this. Besides, I had a meal prepared back home." said the elder woman.

"Well it wasn't like we planned things that way. More like, we were planning to come here for lunch and just stumbled on Shinobu-chan sitting by herself in the park. She was rather depressed and we didn't feel right just leaving her alone in that state. One thing led to the other and the next thing we knew, we were all enjoying a nice salad in here." answered Keitaro.

"I think we've all calmed down enough by now. Shinobu-chan if it's alright with you, can you share with us why you were so depressed earlier?" suggested Motoko to the young girl.

Maehara-san gave a long sigh. "I think it might be better if I answered that instead." she said.

Keitaro and Motoko looked at each other before turning to face her direction. Maehara-san continued, "It's not another spiritual problem if that's what you are thinking."

"We didn't suggest anything." replied Keitaro.

"No, but it was obvious from your faces. Anyway, the simple matter is that I need to relocate due to my job and as I can't leave Shinobu here to fend for herself, I'm taking her with me. Cupcake here is depressed that she'll have to say goodbye to all her friends. That and I think she's grown fond of the place too much to let go." answered Maehara-san.

"Is that it?" asked Motoko directing the question to Shinobu.

"Hai." she replied nodding her head.

The food then came and they spent some time serving themselves.

"Well, I can understand a bit how you feel. It's not easy leaving home." said Motoko trying to console the young girl.

"If only it were that easy. Simply put, it's going to take me months to settle at my new location. I haven't been able to find time to search for a good home and chances are we'll be without a fixed address for at least the next 6 months. It's going to be hard for the both of us." confessed Maehara-san.

After finishing up his meal, Keitaro brought his hand up to his chin. "Hmm..." he started mumbling.

He then suggested, "You know if Motoko doesn't mind, why not have Shinobu-chan stay here with us?"

Motoko then looked towards her fiancé with appreciation in her eyes. "Yes, that's a nice suggestion ! I don't mind. It would be good to have some company around the Inn. What do you think Maehara-san ?"

Maehara-san blinked at the sudden direction the conversation took. She then grew a cat-like smile and smirked towards Motoko saying, "He's already asking for your opinion first? Your training him well my dear!"

Motoko's eyes widened and a blush grew on her face, while Keitaro opted to bend his head down towards his plate to hide his embarrassment.

Maehara-san continued a bit unsure, "Well … I'm not exactly sure. What do you think cupcake?" She directed the latter half of the dialog to her daughter sitting nearby.

Unfortunately, Shinobu was a bit distracted by her food and missed the conversation. She replied in a puzzled expression, "Err.. I'm sorry, but what was everyone talking about?"

Keitaro decided to answer, he tapped her shoulder to get her attention and when she turned to face him he answered, "If you feel so sad about leaving, you could come over and stay at the Hinata Sou with Motoko and me. What do you think?"

Hope began to fill in Shinobu's eyes when she heard that. She asked him, "So that means I won't need to leave school?"

Keitaro smiled as he answered, "Sure! If I understand things correctly, the distance is even shorter so you can walk there every day. Though, you'll need to get used to the steps we have in front of the Inn."

Feeling a lot more cheerful, Shinobu continued, "And can I still keep all my friends?"

Keitaro replied with a bemused expression, "Sure, why not? It's not like you were dumping them anyway, right?"

Eyes shining with joy the young girl clutched his side with both her hands and asked, "And can I still keep all my dolls?"

Not sure what else to answer, Keitaro replied, "Er .. sure."

On hearing that, Shinobu moved closer to Keitaro and wrapped her hands as much as she could around him. She exclaimed, "Thank you Sempai ! Thank YOU !"

Motoko raised one of her eyebrows and asked the senior Maehara-san the silent question. She replied, "Well, how can I say no now? It's settled then ! I'll permit cupcake to stay with the two of you."

Motoko gave a small bow from her seat and responded, "She will be in good hands Maehara-san."

Shinobu's mother raised a hand to her chin and wore a thinking expression on her face. She said aloud, "This will mean a bit of paperwork as well. At the very least, the school will need to be notified and they would probably want the two of you to be registered as her legal guardians. For that matter, I think I would prefer it that way anyway - in this arrangement."

She then looked towards both Keitaro & Motoko and asked, "Are you two up for that kind of responsibility? My cupcake is a growing young girl and could prove to be a handful. I don't want to hear any regrets later."

Shinobu released Keitaro from the hug. He was listening to the conversation however and glanced towards his fiancée. She nodded to him and he turned to face Maehara-san. He answered her, "We can handle her. I guess this means, you want us to keep an eye on her academic performance as well ?"

The rest of the conversation was about how Shinobu would live in the Hinata Sou. There was some concern if there was a room ready for her, but then Motoko recalled that the young girl could use the room they originally prepared for Tsuruko. At best, all that it needed was a bit of dusting. Everyone agreed that it would be best if they moved all of Shinobu's belongings that evening itself and after paying for the food (and leaving a tip) Keitaro left with the others.

* * *

_**The next morning, Hinata Inn**_

Shinobu woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. She drowsily rubbed her eyes and looked around. All her stuff was there and she spied her doll collection on a nearby wall. A few minutes later she shook her head and looked around the room again. Then she remembered - she had moved here yesterday night ! They spent the last evening moving things from her old room.

She looked down on the floor. A futon was rolled up and kept to the side. That meant her mother was awake and about. At first she protested against her mother sleeping on the floor while she slept on the bed, but Mama was persistent and explained that since Shinobu would be living here from now on, it would be best for her to start getting used to the place - that included the new bed.

Shinobu slowly got out of bed. She was still in her pajamas. She needed to start the day by brushing her teeth. 'Now where was the toilet ?' she wondered to herself while looking around. She had a faint memory of someone telling that it was a common wash area or something. And that it was outside the room. Groggily she walked and opened her room door.

A nice smell entered her nostrils. Someone was making breakfast and it promised to be really tasty ! It brought a smile of expectation to her face. She looked around and wondered where the wash area was. Just then Motoko walked by in her white kendo uniform all sweaty from a workout.

"Ah, good morning Shinobu !" the swordmaster said as she came nere.

"Hai. Good morning Motoko-sempai !" replied Shinobu as she gave her senior a small bow. She then looked to the side and asked in a polite voice, "Umm.. where do I brush my teeth?"

Motoko gave her a welcome smile. She pointed to the area below the stairs with her right hand. "It's over there. You'll find your personal items placed there as well." she said.

"Thank you." replied the younger girl.

Motoko continued, "Don't take too long. Since it's your first day here, Keitaro decided to whip up something nice. We are having western-style ham and eggs for breakfast today. Oh, if you are wondering, your mother is in the living room reading the newspaper."

Shinobu watched as Motoko walked off to the bathroom for a shower. As for herself, she turned and went to brush her teeth. Perhaps she could speak to her mother before breakfast? It seemed that the day had gone off with a good start for her.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Shinobu was surprised at the spread before her. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her mother next to her. Motoko and Keitaro were sitting across. The plates and glasses were sparkling. The ham in the middle looked really well cooked. Everyone had 2 scrambled eggs already on their plates. There was bread along with some butter and jam nearby. A glass of orange juice was placed for everyone. And there was a jug of coffee ready to be served too!

"Wow ! This is amazing ! Do you do this _every_ morning Keitaro-sempai? It must be hard work." exclaimed Shinobu.

Keitaro smiled as he replied, "It's just because we just got a new tenant today. That and I like to cook."

Motoko gave him a playful smirk, "Is that so? It wasn't nearly as good looking as this when your fiancée had her first breakfast here."

Scratching the side of his chin he replied, "Well, that would be disappointing then wouldn't it? I improve my skills with practise. Besides, back then the cutlery wasn't even fully unpacked !"

Motoko gave him a small smirk and exaggeratingly turned her head away from him and said, "Excuses ! Is that all you are good for?"

Keitaro looked at Shinobu who was watching the scene with a child's fascination. Well since he had an audience, might as well put on a show! Motoko was still facing away from him so, he reached his hand over and took the fork meant for her. He then tapped on her shoulder and said in a playful voice, "No, there's something else I can do."

His fiancée turned around and asked "Wha -"

But before she could finish, Keitaro stuffed a piece of egg into her mouth with the fork. He commented, "I can feed you as well." as he pulled the fork out of her mouth.

A light blush grew on Motoko face as she looked around the table while chewing her food. Maehara-san was watching the two of them with a bemused expression on her face and nibbling her breakfast. Shinobu was smiling at her. She grabbed the fork from Keitaro's hand and said, "I think I can handle that on my own just fine." before continuing with her own breakfast.

Shinobu decided to comment, "The two of you look cute together." Which got the pair in question to blush a bit more.

Keitaro replied back, "Thank you Shinobu-chan. And I think you better start breakfast yourself instead of starting at us. Your food won't feed you itself, now will it?"

Maehara-san decided to voice her thoughts, "It would be best if we go to cupcake's school when it opens this morning. Being Saturday, they are likely to close around noon and I don't want to risk getting delayed."

Motoko answered, "Sure. That sounds fine to me. Is there anything else we need to do today?"

"We might need to restock on our cleaning supplies." suggested Keitaro.

"Alright, after breakfast you make a list. I'll do the dishes. We can leave in … about 90 mins from now?" responded Motoko.

Shinobu spoke up, "That's fine with me. It will give me time to unpack some of my stuff before we go to the school."

As breakfast winded down to a close, Maehara-san smiled at the interplay between everyone. It seemed that her cupcake would be comfortable here.

* * *

_**A few hours later, Outside Shinobu's school**_

"Well, that went a lot easier than I expected." exclaimed Maehara-san as they walked down the steps of the school.

"I think they preferred it this way as it meant keeping Shinobu-chan in this school. At least, that's the feeling I got from those clerks." commented Motoko.

Smiling Maehara-san clarified, "That's because my cupcake here bakes such wonderful cakes for them!"

Keitaro went a bit stiff when he heard that - an action that went unnoticed by everyone except his fiancée. As they reached the bottom of the steps he turned towards the younger Maehara and asked, "Shinobu-chan, this is probably a bit late to ask, but you _are_ sure about this right? Motoko and I are not your parents and the way we do things will undoubtedly be a lot different than what you are used to. You already have some idea by now, so I feel it's a good time to ask for your honest thoughts about living in the Hinata Sou. And please don't hold back thinking it's polite."

Shinobu looked up to him and replied, "Well, I understand that it might be a bit hard on me at first and it is different than what I used to with Mama but you'll help me get through it, right Keitaro-sempai?"

"Of course! You are as good as family to me now." responded Keitaro with a smile that melted Shinobu's heart. On an impulse she jumped at him and hugged him by the waist saying, "Thank you for letting me stay with you!"

Looking on at the scene Motoko felt like teasing the young girl a bit. "Now Shinobu-chan, while I will not prohibit you from cuddling my fiancé, please bear in mind that he's taken."

Slightly blushing on hearing that, Shinobu slowly started to move away from Keitaro, but he instead opted to hug her closer.

"On come on Motoko! Do you really have to spoil the moment?" criticized Keitaro.

Smirking and putting on a fake posture of anger she responded, "Oh, so you _are_ the kind of person who chases other girls behind your fiancée's back!"

Sighing Keitaro mumbled out loud, "You call this behind your back …?"

Then a sparkle came to his eyes and he shifted into a more mischievous posture, "You know, I think I just realized what your _real_ concern is!"

Suddenly without warning, he grabbed Maehara-san and Motoko with his two arms and enveloped them all into a group hug. Needless to say when it was over, everyone was blushing beet red.

Chuckling, Maehara-san said, "I think my little cupcake will be fine with the two of you."

* * *

_**Across the street**_

While the group was enjoying themselves merrymaking, a young boy was walking by eating an ice-cream cone. It was vanilla flavored and he was enjoying it. He was a young lad, about 8 or 9 years old. His home was a few blocks away and he was sure that by the time he arrived, the ice-cream would be over.

Traffic was light at this time of day and it was unusual when the big van rolled to a stop right next to him. A side door opened and a big man stepped out. The little boy was alarmed, but before he could say anything Gosunkugi had pushed a chloroformed napkin into his face. As the boy lost consciousness his ice-cream fell to the ground.

From the other side of the street, Maehara-san had just called a taxi. She was ushering Shinobu into the car when smoke began to crawl out from under the van across the street. It quickly rose up to cover much of the area. Keitaro and Motoko took positions around the taxi to prevent anything from happening to either of the Maeharas. They heard a screeching sound as the van sped away.

A few moments later the wind came up and blew away the obscuring smog. All that was left across them was an ice-cream cone which was obviously dropped by the boy they saw earlier.

"What just happened?" asked a puzzled and worried Maehara-san.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I think we just witnessed …" said Keitaro in a worried and cautious tone.

Motoko finished the sentence with a firm voice and a frown on her face, " … an abduction."

* * *

_Coming Up Next "The Gothic Girl arrives"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	8. The Gothic Girl arrives

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_And another chapter done ! From the title, I think you can all guess that Kanako finally makes an appearance in the story. She doesn't exactly get to shine in this chapter (barring a small flashback scene), but that's how things flowed. I plan to flesh out her character a bit more over the next few chapters. Speaking of which, do my cast appear bland? One reviewer mentioned that in a PM and I want to know if anyone else feels that way as well. Also, there is a lot of action taking place in this chapter and I hope I got the mood right. Please tell me what you think in your reviews.

Some weeks back I wrote a one-shot story between Keitaro and Mutsumi (nothing to do with R&S). For all those who leave a signed review (even criticism !) to this story, I'll PM you a link to the draft of that one-shot. Frankly, I don't think it's worth publishing on it's own, but I don't like the feeling that only my beta-readers will see it. This is just my way of sharing it around. The offer will remain valid until I publish the next chapter of R&S.

Yeah, it's a cheesy way of asking for more reviews, but you can't blame a guy for trying now can you? ;P

And most importantly, I need to thank the following good people from TFF for beta-reading this chapter - **rukia8492 & Without Remorse.** It's thanks to them that a lot of errors got fixed. You have NO idea of how appreciative I am to them. THANKS guys !

Post-publishing, I would like to thank **Genericrandom** for helping me correct a phonetic mistake with one of the phone dialogs in this chapter and **EagleCeres** from TFF for pointing out a few other mistakes that got missed in the earlier edits.

_-chronodekar  
_(24/September/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima (20 years old), a mage-in-training has agreed to 'try out' an engagement with Motoko Aoyama (19 years old) a master of the Shinmei-ryu style of kenjutsu. They will formally decided within the next 4 months if they should continue onto a marriage or not. In the meantime, Keitaro is pursuing a dual-degree program while Motoko is preparing for a second attempt at the Toudai entrance exam (she failed the first time).

In the last chapter, they found Shinobu Maehara (12 years old) crying in the park. When they realized that the young girl was sad because she was leaving the neighbourhood with her mother, they suggested that she could stay at the Inn with them instead. Her mother agreed with the condition that the two of them become her legal guardians. They spent a lot of time moving Shinobu's things to the Inn and Maehara-san (her mother) decided to stay over at the Inn for a night before leaving the city.

The chapter ended with all four of the witnessing the abduction of a small boy.

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 08)

_The Gothic Girl arrives_

* * *

… _the number of 'missing children' has increased in the past week with 1 more reported yesterday. A family witnessed what might have been an abduction, but police are withholding details at this time … _

… _No ransom demands have been made to any of the families involved and with an eye-witness account the police are beginning to suspect that human trafficking might be afoot … _

… _no common link between all the victims (boys and girls ranging from 8 - 18 years old), the investigation appears be stalled. For pictures of the missing children please turn to page 7 …_

-Excerpts from the morning paper

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Keitaro frowned as he read the newspaper. They were not sure about it yesterday, but now he was certain that what they witnessed was just one incident in a series of events. As the newspaper reported, they did visit a nearby Police-station and submitted their concerns. The police on duty were worried, but without knowing either the license plate number of the vehicle they saw or even the name of the victim, there was little they could do but wait.

It was quiet for a while after that and Maehara-san decided to lighten the mood by taking everyone to an ice-cream parlor. Keitaro recalled Shinobu's smiling face. She really enjoyed ice-cream. Motoko as well. He wondered if it was some natural impulse for a girl to like ice cream. Something like his own impulse to randomly think of Motoko wearing different dresses, like a French maid outfit … He sighed and closed his eyes thinking of what his fiancée would look like wearing the black and white dress. He could imagine it in his head - she would look so cute! A small blush began to grow on his cheeks.

He suddenly blinked and shook his head. 'Damn … ! What the heck was I just thinking ?!' he asked himself. Taking a deep breath he continued his mental conversation, 'It's been too long since I've played around. I hope Kanako gets here soon. I might go crazy without my private hobby.'

He looked around the room and saw Motoko standing nearby looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself. What were you thinking of?" she innocently asked.

Keitaro idly wondered if she could read his mind. He pressed his lips and turned to face her. He had a hard time looking at her eyes while he replied, "N-nothing! I was just daydreaming. Do you need me for anything?"

Motoko looked back at him with a bored expression. 'What's he so defensive about?' she asked herself. Out loud she answered, "Maehara-san is leaving now and it would be rude if you just sat there doing nothing. Now get up and let's see her off together with Shinobu-chan."

Keitaro nodded from his chair before getting up and following his fiancée to the front entrance of the Inn. There they found the two Maehara's embracing each other in a hug.

"I'll try contacting you as often as I can cupcake. You be a good girl and don't cause any trouble for you Sempais alright?" they heard the elder Maehara-san ask her daughter.

"Yes, Mama. I'll be good !" replied Shinobu.

Maehara-san smiled as she looked up and saw the engaged couple walking towards them. She turned towards their direction and said, "I've been meaning to ask - are you doll collectors by any chance?"

Keitaro blinked at the sudden question. "What makes you think that?" asked Motoko with a puzzled expression on her face.

Maehara-san turned towards Shinobu and smiled at her while she replied, "Well cupcake here doesn't like others mishandling her dolls and would complain about it otherwise. And you both handled her collection so carefully that it made me wonder if you had your own?"

Motoko smiled as she replied, "Well, it's part of my training actually. We needed to learn how to handle people gently and Aneue would make me train with paper figures. If I applied too much force the figure would get torn and I would be scolded."

Shinobu nodded as she replied, "That's true. You handled my dolls so carefully that it was obvious you were taking care not to damage them." She then turned towards Keitaro and pointed at him saying, "But you, sempai ! I was surprised to see how graceful you were with them. I'm sure that Sakura-chan was so happy with the way you seated her on the shelf !"

Keitaro blushed and brought up his left hand to scratch the back of his head, "In my case, it's because I'm a bit of a figurine-otaku myself."

Motoko blinked. That was news to her. Shinobu on the other hand just nodded expecting something of the such. Maehara-san just raised her left eyebrow and asked, "And where is your collection then? I didn't see anything of the such in this Inn."

"Kanako's bringing it with the rest of my things. I'm expecting her to arrive either today or tomorrow, actually." he replied.

Maehara-san then turned to face the outside. "Well, the sun seems to be past it's peak and I need to get going." she said, as she picked up a small shoulder bag. She turned back towards them and said, "But before I go …" she trailed off as she approached Keitaro.

She then leaned forward and kissed him on his left cheek. Motoko who was standing to his right grew a bit uncomfortable when she saw that. She found herself thinking, 'I haven't kissed him yet …' but before she could continue, Maehara-san was in-front of her and kissed her cheek as well. As she pulled back her eyes twinkled at Motoko, teasing her by silently asking "Have _you_ kissed him yet?"

Maehara-san then walked out the entrance. The rest of them followed her down the steps of the Inn and waved her goodbye as she got on a taxi and went off.

The three of them stood there silently before Motoko let out a big yawn. She then asked, "So, what is everyone going to do now?"

Keitaro brought a hand up to adjust his glasses while he replied, "Well, I need to get back to the Inn to do some cleaning as well as a few other chores."

Motoko frowned at his reply. She waved a finger at his direction and admonished him saying, "Oh no! Not this again. I will not let you keep doing all the household chores by yourself. I'll do it instead!"

Her fiancé just shook his head and replied, "I think you have other things to be worrying about right now."

She quirked her left eyebrow up in puzzlement and asked, "What do you mean?"

He pointed towards Shinobu who was sniffing quietly. Tears were beginning to slowly come from her eyes. "You need to comfort our newest tenant. I think she could use a bit of female companionship right now." he suggested.

Motoko turned towards their youngest companion and saw that she was indeed feeling down. She nodded towards her fiancé and embraced Shinobu in a comforting hug. "There, there Shinobu" she said as she patted the little girls back. "Your mother will be back for you. So don't worry about her. Come on, let's go for a walk in the park. That should cheer you up, right?"

Shinobu looked up from the hug and saw Motoko's comforting face. She replied, "Sempai !" and hugged her again. She then let go and held Motoko's hand while she let the older girl lead her outside.

Keitaro just smiled at the two of them as he watched them walk toward the part. He then turned towards the Inn and started walking up the stairs.

'Might as well start getting a room ready for Kanako when she arrives!' he thought to himself.

* * *

_**Tokyo docks**_

A ship had finished docking and a young dark haired girl was slowing walking down the ramp to the harbor. She was dressed in a black skirt that went down to her knees. She had a long sleeve blouse that covered her hands - you could just see her fingers peeking out. Her hair fell down to her chest-level and if you were a boy, you might notice her bust. Though if you didn't, it would be understandable. The entire style screamed 'Gothic' and was not designed with the intention to show-off certain female assets. As she stepped onto the shore, she raised her hand and showed her ID card to the attendant there. The name on the ID read, 'Kanako Urashima', 17-years old.

Behind the girl was a black cat. The cat had cute long ears and there was a bell attached to it's tail. It made a small "ding!" sound as it walked.

Kanako covered her mouth with her right hand as she let out a big yawn. "I'm really tired Kuro." she said addressing the feline. The cat seemed to nod its head in response.

"Damn … all that last minute packing was such a bother too! I hope Onii-san won't mind keeping my eroge collection for me at the Inn. A real pity the dorm supervisor didn't permit me to keep it in my room." she continued talking to her cat. Kuro replied with a "Meow!"

"When I got on the ship, I thought it would be a nice relaxing sea voyage. But it was soo boring ! All I could do was just sit, eat or sleep. And occasionally read. But most of my books were packed and it would be too bothersome to get those out .." she trailed off as she let out another yawn.

"Who would think that sitting around doing nothing would be so tiring, eh?" commented Kanako. Kuro purred in reply meaning "Yeah...".

She stopped walking and looked around turning her head left and right. "Now where do I go to get our stuff transported to the Inn?" she asked out loud.

A nearby ship-worker heard her and said, "Go to the office down there miss!" as he pointed towards a building a little ways off.

Kanako gave him a small bow as she replied, "Thank you!" She then made her way over to the building indicated. Kuro followed behind her, the bell on her tail making cute noises as it walked by.

* * *

_**Taxi, moving towards Hinata Inn**_

There was a lot of luggage and Kanako had made arrangements with a moving company to have all the stuff delivered to the Inn. There wasn't anything left to do at the docks, so she decided to grab a taxi and head there herself.

Kuro was sitting on her lap, while Kanako sat in the car watching the scenery fly by. At first she planned to take the taxi directly in front of the Inn. Then she peeked into her purse and discovered to her disappointment that she didn't have enough money to pay for the fare. So, she told the driver to stop a few blocks away from the Inn. Sure she could borrow the money from her brother, but that would mean climbing down the stairs again and she was feeling too tired. This way, she should be able to rest a lot faster.

Kanako closed her eyes as she recalled the phone conversation she had with her brother when she was still in London,

* * *

_**Flashback to a phone conversation between Kanako and Keitaro**_

"Onii-san! (older brother) Glad you called. I was just packing up your clothes just now. What do you want me to do with your old jeans? The look too torn to me." asked Kanako while she was putting a few clothes into a box.

"You can throw them away, imouto (younger sister). I think I'll buy a new pair from here if I want to. Did you pack all my books?" responded her brother.

"Of course! … I think. How many of these do you have here anyway?"

"My friends told me that I had a mini-library over there. I guess about 400 or so? I never counted them."

"Sigh. This is soo bothersome ! Why can't I just sell them and you buy the latest editions from there?"

"Two reasons - for one it's expensive. And secondly, I've written notes in the margins of many of those books. It will be too time consuming to have them all replaced. Make sure you pack them with enough stuffing material. I don't want any of them damaged !" explained her brother.

"Yeah, yeah. You got it. What about your figurine collection? I don't see it anywhere …" asked Kanako in a teasing tone.

"I packed that myself. No way am I going to trust you with THAT. You break them too easily !" Keitaro replied.

"Hmph! And here I was hoping to play with them in a few S&M poses …" prodded the younger girl.

"KANAKO URASHIMA ! Don't you DARE open my packed figurine collection !" was her brother's reply in a threatening voice.

"Waaah ! Onii-san is scolding me ! ….. Fine, fine. I won't do anything to your precious collection. Say, how are things over there? Is the Inn in good shape?" queried the sister.

"The Inn is dusty. The rooms need renovation but overall, I think I can manage."

"What about the kitchen, Iron Chef?"

"Oh, knock it off ! And yes, the kitchen is great. It's bigger than the one we had in London and I think I'm going to enjoy it here."

"Did Granny tell you why she called you there so suddenly?" asked Kanako.

There was a pause before the reply came.

"Yes … she did." answered Keitaro in a slow tone.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me !" prodded the sister.

"Now, listen Kanako. I … don't want you to get … excited or emotional over this." he replied in a hesitant manner.

"And now, I'm getting upset. Why are you beating around the bush so much Onii-san? It's not like we're in some manga where the boy suddenly gets called away and has to get married, now is it? Or does that happen to the girl? I'm confused …"

"Er … actually Kanako, that's exactly what happened. Granny wants me to get married." he admitted.

"WHAT?! As in immediately?" replied Kanako in a shocked voice. She dropped the box she was holding. It fell down with a light THUD sound.

"Unfortunately. She didn't really give me much choice in the matter at all."

"But WHY? And how could she do that to you? What about _my_ feelings? Don't I get to choose who gets to be my sister-in-law?"

" … ", Keitaro didn't know how to answer that question.

"So what kind of girl are you going to get married to?"

"There is some good news. I don't actually have to get married immediately. I manage to convince Granny to let us try out being engaged for a few months first."

"That's reassuring. So if you two are incompatible the wedding will be dropped. Great ! So, after that you can marry me instead ! It's perfect !" suggested the sister.

"KaaNaaKoo! I love you dearly as my sister, but please stop suggesting such things. It makes me sick." was how Keitaro scolded his sister in reply.

"Well … technically _you_ were the one who promised to take care of me all those years ago, Onii-san." teased the girl.

"I really wish you would stop twisting my words around. Besides, you know better." he lamented.

"Oh fine. You are no fun. So tell me - what kind of a girl is she? And what's her name?"

"Her name is Motoko Aoyama and she's a sword-master."

"How does she look? Is she pretty?"

"Well, she has nice long hair. She seems comfortable in her kendo training dress and yes I think she's pretty."

"How is she in bed?"

"WHAT?" said Keitaro in a shocked tone.

"Oh don't play games with me Onii-san ! We both know Grandma well enough. The only way she would have agreed to the whole engagement is if the two of you were living together. So tell me, what does she like? On top? Or below ? Is she into bondage?" Kanako was really curious to know what her potential sister-in-law would be like.

"KaaNaaKoo! Stop suggesting such things ! We aren't even married yet ! How can you even consider that option?" replied Keitaro in a mortified tone.

"Onii-san, sometimes I wonder if you realize that we are living in the twenty-first century or not. Your behavior is more fit for a girl from 200 years ago !"

"Sigh. It's at times like this I wonder if I made a mistake in raising you …"

"Silly Onii-san ! You didn't and you know it ! I'm among the most talented in the thaumaturgical arts among my peers. And most importantly, I'm part of the internet generation !"

"That actually makes me more worried …"

"Come on, admit it! You read from my hentai collection on occasion as well?"

"Lets talk about something else, shall we?"

"What a prude! Fine. How's Grandma doing then?"

"She's doing well. Actually, she just left yesterday on a worldwide tour of hot springs."

"Typical Grandma … Wait, so it's just you and your fiancée at the Inn?"

"No, her older sister's here with us as well."

"Ah ! THAT's why you are keeping your hands off her. Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"KaaNaaKoo! If you were here, I'd strangle you right now !" warned her brother.

"Biii!" Kanako just stuck her tongue out at the phone receiver and made a funny noise.

"Sigh. So when will you get here anyway?"

"I think it will take a few weeks. I'll give you a call when I arrive."

"OK. Bye for now !"

"Bye Onii-san !"

* * *

Kanako opened her eyes and found herself back in the taxi. She looked out and noted that the city had changed since she last came by. She let out a big yawn.

"I seem to be really tired Kuro-chan. Looks like the sea voyage took more out of me than I expected." she said while petting her cat on it's head. Kuro, for her part enjoyed the grooming.

She couldn't say over the phone, but Kanako was really worried about her brother's fiancée. All she knew was what he told her and that was just Motoko being a swordmaster. There was nothing wrong there, but Kanako wondered - why a swordmaster? Wouldn't someone from a more magically-oriented background be a more suitable candidate?

Still, Grandma had made her decision it seemed. Whether she liked it or not, unless something really drastic happened the marriage would take place. She knew how kind hearted her brother was and that it was only a matter of time before he would have his fiancée's heart. A real pity the fool didn't notice such things until it was obvious to everyone else.

She gave a long sigh.

Back in London, there was that American who attended the same college as her Onii-san. What was her name again? It was a Lina something. Forest? No that wasn't it. Her name reminded Kanako of tinned food for some reason. Ah, that was it ! Tina Foster ! The girl from the photography club !

Kanako didn't know the details, but it seemed that Foster was enamored by her brother for some reason. Actually, so were many of the girls in his class. But Foster was the only one who tried to be the most friendly with him. Most of the others just sat by the sidelines and watched. Or dreamed. Drawing wisdom from her vast hentai collection, Kanako could easily guess what they had been thinking when they went all starry-eyed the moment her brother would step into the area.

It was something of an open secret among his circle of friends that Foster was chasing after him. At first, it was just the girls. Then eventually it spread around to the boys too. Soon enough by the end of his first year, everyone in class knew it. Except Keitaro. He just thought that she was a bit odd.

Most of the shenanigans happened on campus, so Kanako couldn't get involved but when they went on group trips and invited her along, it was obvious to her as well. At one point, Keitaro even asked her if he was doing something wrong. It seemed that he knew Foster was an active student, but he noticed that she would get really meek when talking to him. Kanako didn't want to get involved with the whole thing (she found it an amusing soap opera) and just shrugged back at him in reply.

It was about 2 months into his second year that Keitaro began to suspect something about Foster. No, it wasn't that he grew interested in her, but rather he just wasn't interested. But he still wanted to keep her around as a friend. Kanako was stumped when he came to her for advice on how to dump a girl he wasn't going out with.

The soap opera just became a whole lot better after that. Eventually word got around and people were generally split into two camps. One group was supporting Foster and the other was supporting Keitaro. It was an unusual situation and no-one really knew how it would end. Foster was just too shy to outright confess to Keitaro, while he didn't want to sound like a fool by rejecting her before she told him.

It wasn't until Keitaro finally submitted his formal transfer request did Foster finally summon enough courage to confess. At least, that's what everyone believed. All they knew what that she invited him out to a private dinner in a fancy restaurant. Keitaro for his part, accepted the invitation and went. A few days later he invited her for lunch in a 5 star hotel.

After that, neither of them spoke with the other - unless it was absolutely necessary. It was not like they behaved like strangers, but they didn't seem like friends either. Kanako didn't know what to think of it.

Which brought her back to this 'Motoko'. What kind of a girl was she? It was doubtful that she would be some ordinary swordmaster - Grandma wasn't an idiot. But Kanako was worried nonetheless. She grew a frown on her face and grimaced. She would be most unhappy if this 'Motoko' ever made her Onii-san sad ! Kanako would make her pay !

Kanako let out another yawn. She was really tired.

She blinked her eyes and shook her head. 'No ! I should not make assumptions before I meet her. It's one of the things Grandma and Keitaro often scold me about. It's only fair to judge her _after_ I talk with her. I am an Urashima after all !' she thought to herself.

She glanced back and noticed that a van had been following her taxi for the past few minutes.

'Is it the moving company?' she asked herself. 'I wonder if I can ask them for a ride.'

The taxi soon came to her stop. She got off and saw the van just zoomed past them. She put her hand into her purse and paid the driver the fare.

As she stood on the pavement she brought her hand up and yawned again. She was really exhausted. She blinked and looked around.

'That looks like the same van that just passed me. Did it circle around and come back?' she asked herself as she noticed the van turn the corner and approach her. 'Perhaps the moving people recognize me?'

The van came to a stop right in front of her. The side door slid open and a lot of white smoke came rushing out. Before Kanako knew what was happening, she felt a piece of cloth being pushed up her face.

She fell unconscious after that.

* * *

_**Nearby park**_

Shinobu was feeling a lot better. Motoko-sempai took her to the nearby park and they had ice-cream together. They talked a lot. Much of it was just idle chatter and Shinobu was beginning to feel a lot better. She was still a bit sad that Mama had to leave, but she felt comfortable around Motoko. Now they were walking back towards the Inn.

"So Shinobu-chan what kind of hobbies do you have?" asked the kendoist next to her as they walked.

"Well, I like baking a lot. Everyone at school seems to like the cakes I make." the little girl replied.

"Oh yes, I think I remember your mother saying something of the such." responded Motoko looking up in the sky in a thoughtful pose.

"Motoko-sempai? Can I try baking something in our kitchen?" asked the blue-haired girl.

"Hm? Why are you asking me? You should be asking Keitaro." replied the taller girl.

"Eh? But didn't you make breakfast today? I thought you were the one who did the cooking." answered the smaller one.

Motoko waved her hand in front of her face in a dismissive motion. With a smile she replied, "It took me quite a while before Keitaro permitted me to use the kitchen. Think what you will, but that's his domain."

"Perhaps I could surprise him with my cooking ?" suggested Shinobu

Motoko pulled back her hand and just shook her face, "No, that wouldn't work. You see, Keitaro actually put up some kind of ward in the kitchen. Unless you have his permission, I doubt you'll be able to do anything in here."

Shinobu looked at the ground in front of them as she walked. Her face turned sad and she replied, "Hmmm.. what can I do then? I really like cooking …." she trailed off.

Motoko then stopped and grabbed both of Shinobu's shoulders. She then spun the other girl around so that she was facing the swordmaster. Motoko smiled and ruffled Shinobu's head as she said, "Tell you what, I'll talk to Keitaro. I think I can convince him to let you try at least. But you'll need to make something nice and tasty, alright?"

Shinobu brought both her hands up in front of her and nodded her head in a determined manner saying "Hai ! I'll make a cake that everyone will enjoy !"

They had reached the stairs to the Inn and were turning to climb when Motoko said, "That's good to hear. Now lets get back …" she trailed off as she noticed a familiar van zoom past them and turned a corner.

'That van … it looked like the same one we saw last time. They couldn't be planning another abduction, now could they?' Motoko thought to herself as she stopped and looked around the street. All she saw was a girl with dark hair getting out of a taxi a block away.

Motoko got an uncomfortable feeling that something bad was about to happen.

"Motoko-sempai? What's wrong ..?" asked Shinobu in a hesitant manner. Motoko-sempai had suddenly gone rigid and she seemed to be getting into a battle stance.

"I hope I'm just imagining things, but can you head up to the Inn by yourself, Shinobu-chan? I want to stay here for a bit." replied the swordmaster.

"...ok" said the smaller girl hesitantly as she turned to climb the stairs.

Motoko stood on alert as she watched the taxi drive by. She turned and saw a black cat next to the girl in a gothic dress. 'Isn't she hot in that dress?' pondered Motoko.

Then she watched her fears come true as the van pulled around the corner. It seemed that it just went round the block. It came and stopped in front of the girl. She looked tired and was letting out a big yawn. Suddenly a lot of smoke came from under the van and the girl and vehicle were quickly obscured.

'They are too far away for me to stop them.' thought Motoko as she looked around the street. 'But it seems that this is the only way that van can travel. Looks like a good opportunity to find out what is going on here.'

The Shinmei-ryu master watched as the van screeched out of the smoke. The driver didn't seem to have noticed her. Motoko quickly started running on the pavement in the direction that the van was driving in. She was still ahead of it, but that wouldn't last for long. She noticed a light-pole hanging over the road. She smiled and jumped to grab onto it. 'Looks like my daily training is paying off.' she thought to herself as she caught the pole.

She swung round on the light pole once, then as the van passed under she dropped right on top of it. The Shinmei-ryu master was careful not to make much noise and with the hazardous manner the driver was going, it didn't seem that they would be able to tell that they acquired a new passenger.

Motoko smiled as she grabbed onto the top of the van. It looked like she would be able to discover what happened to all those missing children !

* * *

_**Inside the van**_

"Hey did we hit a bump or something?" asked Gosunkugi to Mook-A who was driving the vehicle.

"No Boss. Everything's A-OkAY !" replied Mook-A over the noise of the radio.

Gosunkugi then turned towards Mook-B sitting in the back seat with him, "The girl's still asleep, right?"

The big and fat fellow just looked back at his boss and relied in a dull voice, "Yep."

Something felt off and Gosunkugi didn't like it. He looked up at the roof of the van and narrowed his eyes. On a hunch he brought up his revolver and shot at it.

BANG!

The van skidded erratically as Mook-A lost his grip on the steering wheel. Everyone was tossed left and right for about a minute before he stabilized things. Mook-A turned back and shouted in an angry voice,

"We're lucky that there wasn't any traffic on the road. What the hell were you thinking boss?! Scaring me out like that !"

"Looks like a false alarm then. Keep driving. I got an uncomfortable feeling about today." responded Gosunkugi in a rough voice.

Above on the roof of the van, Motoko's heart was beating fast and her eyes were open wide in fear. 'That was close !' she thought to herself. She was spread out over the roof with her arms and legs stretching out in an X fashion. The shot went right through the space between her thighs. She was glad she was wearing her white blouse and blue pants today. As it was, the shot missed her clothing by an inch. It would have been really embarrassing to have a hole there on her hakama.

It seemed that there would be no more random shooting. She narrowed her eyes she felt the van slow down. It wouldn't do for her to just jump off the roof of the van as soon as it stopped. She then spotted a tree coming closer. And the van was obviously trying to park somewhere nearby.

Motoko quickly jumped off the van and grabbed onto a tree branch. She climbed into the branches to hide herself and watched as the van park on the roadside. She looked around. It seemed like they were in a deserted part of the city. She couldn't see any anybody else and the buildings looked really worn down.

She spied the goons dragging the Goth girl out of the van and into an alley nearby. As soon as they all disappeared into it, she jumped out of the tree and crept up to the wall, approaching them while staying out of sight. It wouldn't do her any good to alarm them right now.

* * *

_**Inside the alley**_

Gosunkugi watched as Mook-B shoved the unconscious girl into the dumpster. Mook-A was waiting near the cardboard box for the payment to appear. As soon as the girl was in, Mook-B closed the lid on the dumpster. They waited for a bit and then heard a "thud" sound come from the cardboard box nearby.

Mook-A opened the box and exclaimed, "Wow ! This is some haul, eh boss? Looks like we're well out of debt with the third payment and it's just blind profit for us now !" He reached his hand into the cardboard box and pulled out a bag of money.

Mook-B just turned to Gosunkugi and asked, "Hey, what's got you all so uptight suddenly?"

Gosunkugi was frowning and looking at the parchment he had in his left hand. It showed that a suitable candidate was nearby. If he had to guess, the person was just outside the alley. But how was that possible? The place was empty when they came in a few minutes ago. Unless …

Gosunkugi brought out a cigarette-lighter with his right hand from his pocket. He flicked it a few times and got it burning. Then he brought the parchment near it and watched it burn.

As the ashes fell to the ground Mook-A suddenly looked up from picking up the money and shouted, "Hey ! Why did you do that? There's still more money to be made with this gig !"

Gosunkugi just walked up to him and karate chopped him on the forehead. It resulted in him dropping whatever cash he picked up back into the cardboard box. As Mook-A rubbed his forehead, Gosunkugi brought out a smoke bomb from his jacket.

"This operation has been compromised. Your debts have been paid and there is no need for us to maintain our current relationship. As soon as this goes off, our partnership is dissolved !" he said as he threw the smoke bomb to the ground. It burst covering the area with smoke.

* * *

_**Outside the alley**_

Motoko was feeling uneasy. One minute she sensed the presence of 4 people inside but now it was down to 3. What happened in there? Then it sounded like the thugs were arguing. She was about to make her presence known to them when she heard a hissing sound and saw a lot of smoke come out from the alley. It was thick and she couldn't see past it.

She was worried for the girl that was kidnapped, but it wouldn't do any good for her to get herself caught at this point. Still, she couldn't wait for the smoke to clear up on its own. She stood in front of the alley and brought out the handle of the bokken from the pocket she carried it in. She raised it in her right hand and brought it down in a quick fluid motion. Like a magician's wand (or a car antenna), it expanded to a little more than the length of her arm.

Motoko then brought the bokken in front of her chest and started spinning it with both her hands. At first, it looked like a slow moving clock, but as the torque on the bokken increased it became a blur in front of Motoko. Soon enough she had miniature fan in front of her and it blew away the smoke.

Motoko narrowed her eyes at the empty alley. Judging from the position of the boxes on the opposite end, it looked like the goons had climbed over the wall and scattered in the opposite direction. She closed her eyes and tried extending her senses forward. From what she could tell, it was just the 3 goons who escaped. Then what about the kidnapped girl? She couldn't have just vanished, now could she?

Motoko blinked her eyes and surveyed the empty alley. There was a large dumpster to her right side. She walked up to it and opened the lid. It was empty. Opposite to it was a sturdy cardboard box. It seemed too small to fit the body of a girl … unless they stuffed her in. Feeling very uncomfortable she slowly approached the container and opened it.

She was surprised to find bags of money inside. She reached into the box and tried shifting the bags around. There didn't seem to be much of anything else inside. Motoko stepped back and frowned. She was certain that the girl was brought to this alley, but what became of her after that?

She looked towards the end of the alley. There were some old tires and oil barrels there. A quick search revealed nothing. The barrels looked as if they could fit a person, but considering the rust on them, they would more likely break if such an attempt was made. Feeling bad about her failure to even help one little girl Motoko walked back to the entrance of the alley.

She decided to take a few deep breaths. The best course of option now would be to contact the Police, but without any evidence it would end up becoming another worthless report. Motoko looked back at the alley. She blinked once. Then she approached the cardboard box.

There on it's side was some kind of marking. It looked like someone had drawn a crude circle there with a few other symbols next to it. Could it be magical? She brought her hand near it and tried sensing it. Yes, it was!

Motoko then grimaced. If magic was at work here, then calling the police would not be a good idea - yet. They might do the preliminary investigations, but afterwards would call on someone like the Aoyama clan to deal with things of supernatural nature. However, this wasn't anywhere near their home and Motoko was not skilled at analyzing runes. What to do …?

She suddenly blinked twice. Then a small smile grew on her face as she realized the obvious. Motoko brought up her mobile phone and made a call.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Keitaro had just put the ice tray back into the freezer and closed it. He walked up to the kitchen table and resumed stirring his instant orange juice. He idly wondered what his fiancée was up to. Shinobu had come back about an hour ago. She was currently studying in her room. She told him that Motoko had decided to investigate something suspicious in front of the Inn entrance.

As he took the second sip from his glass, he heard his mobile phone ring. He put the glass back down on the table and took out his mobile phone. From the screen, it looked like Motoko was calling him. 'Well, speak of the devil !' he mused to himself.

"Motoko ! What are you doing? It's been nearly an hour since you left Shinobu-chan !" complained Keitaro as he answered the call.

"Sorry Keitaro, but do you remember the van we saw kidnapping that boy earlier? Well, those guys just kidnapped a girl right in front of the Hinata Inn and I've been following them ever since!" Motoko replied.

Keitaro sat up straight in his chair and answered in shock, "WHAT ?! Where are you now? What's going on over there?"

"Hmmm... give me a moment." replied his fiancée. Keitaro heard her footsteps over the phone. She soon answered him, "I'm at the west end of town. On the edge of street 24. There is an alleyway to it's right side."

"If that's where they kidnappers have the missing children, then we'd better contact the police at this point. I know a few officers thanks to Grandma's contacts and ..." was how far he got before she interrupted him.

"No, I don't see any of the children here. In fact, that's why I called you. I followed the kidnappers to this alley and they definitely brought the girl here. But after that, they left. I've searched for the girl but she's nowhere to be found."

"That doesn't make any sense. Are you sure you aren't mistaken?" queried Keitaro.

"I'm positive. What's more, I think there are runes etched on some of the containers here. I suspect some thaumaturgical force is at work here." she replied.

"That doesn't sound good. Do you want me to come over and investigate it?" he asked.

"No, I think it would take you too long to get here, especially considering the evening traffic right now. I was hoping you could give me an idea what these runes do if I described them to you." she suggested.

"Hmmm... sure, I can do that. Wait ! Your phone is a model-XYZ, right?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? Did you do something to my phone without my permission?" she asked him in a suspicious tone.

"Oh come on! Have a bit more faith in your own fiancé, please! Listen - just follow my instructions and you can activate the video transmission feature of the phone …" he instructed her.

It took about 10 minutes, but by the end, Motoko had sent him a live video stream of what she was seeing in the area.

"That setup reminds me of an old barter system we used to use back in my old hostel, when I studied magic. Basically you put something in the larger container and if it satisfies the required parameters, the goods would get transported to a remote location. Payment would appear in a smaller container nearby." Keitaro summarized.

"So in other words, you think the girl was pushed into the dumpster and that the money in the cardboard box is payment?" Motoko asked.

"Yes, that's what it looks like. The fact that you can still detect magic in the area means that the system is still working." he replied.

"So … if I were to jump into the dumpster, I could get transported to where the kidnapped children are being kept?" Motoko suggested.

"Well, … if you satisfy the conditions for exchange then yes, that should work. But I can't promise what will happen after you get transported. For all we know, there could be a human meat-grinder at the other end." replied her fiancé in a worried tone.

"I think I'll have to take that risk. Besides, I deliberately let them kidnap the girl so that I could follow them. It wouldn't matter if I were to leave now." responded Motoko.

She heard Keitaro take a deep breath. "Motoko, please be careful? And contact me if you get in trouble?" he asked with worry evident in his voice. For some reason, it warmed her heart to know that he was concerned for her.

"Don't worry. And I will." she replied before closing the call. Decision made, she got into the dumpster and closed the lid as she settled down inside it. At least it didn't smell like most other dumpsters.

* * *

_**Unknown location**_

Motoko didn't really understand how it happened, but as soon as she closed the lid on the dumpster _something_ changed. How she knew was a mystery, but she was sure that her surroundings had changed. Could she have been transported already? It was pitch black inside the dumpster, but she didn't feel anything change inside the dumpster. It was as if the outside had changed instead.

Very quietly, she opened the lid of the dumpster and peeked out. She was no longer in the alley! Opening the dumpster fully, she slipped out and surveyed her surroundings. It looked like she was underground. The room she was in looked like some storage facility. There were boxes haphazardly thrown around. Some nuts and bolts were on the floor. There was a broken jeep to the side.

Looked like the kind of room you threw old broken stuff in she thought to herself. There was an open door to the side and Motoko heard footsteps approaching. She quickly moved into one of the boxes to the side to stay out of side. She found a few stacked in a corner that was under a dark shadow. Good. This way she could see what was happening and stay hidden at the same time.

Two people walked into the room. It looked like one of them was a construction worker wearing a hard hat. The other looked like a school teacher. She was wearing glasses, had her red hair tied back in a bun and was wearing a school tracksuit. From her position Motoko was unable to read the name of the school printed on the tracksuit.

"So, we just need to break this?" asked the construction worker while stroking his beard and looking at the dumpster.

"Yes, the contract has been closed and it will not do to have loose ends about." replied the teacher while lifting a parchment that appeared to be partially burned.

The construction worker brought his left hand back and pulled out a wrench he kept to his side. He then spun it around and threw it at the dumpster shouting, "Just leave the booming to old Hitoshi !"

When the wrench hit the dumpster, it exploded in a fire. The teacher brought her hands up to cover her face while Hitoshi just looked on with glee. He then raised his right hand and caught the wrench as it flew back like a boomerang. He reattached the tool to his utility belt. Turning to face the lady he asked, "So that's done, right?"

She nodded and led him out of the room.

Motoko watched the scene with a frown on her face. If they destroyed the dumpster, then it was very unlikely that Keitaro would be able to find her, even if he was able to reach the dumpster in the other location. Or did that blow up too? She had no way of knowing. Best to contact and inform him of the current situation. Motoko brought out her cellphone and nearly cursed out loud. She was out of range !

She frowned and snuck her way out the door they just exited. 'May as well explore the rest of the place.' she thought to herself.

* * *

_**Unknown location**_

Kanako opened her eyes in a very groggy state. She blinked them once, then twice. It was dark at first, but she shook her head to clear her thoughts. There was light coming from the roof. It looked like a few overhanging bulbs were all over the place. She appeared to be in a large hall of some sorts. She tried to get up.

And then realized that she was tied down on a wooden table. Both her wrists were bound in a leather strap and tied to the upper corners of the table. Similar situation with her legs.

'I do not remember agreeing to participate in a kinky …' she thought to herself. Then realization hit her ! She was just outside the Inn and had noticed a van come up next to her. A lot of smoke came from the van and it was blank after that. She deduced that she must have been knocked out at that point and brought here.

'But where is here?' she asked herself as she tried to look around. Her bindings didn't offer her much freedom, but she could move her head around a bit. As she noticed earlier, she was in a large room. Some bottles were placed on a shelf to the side. She saw a few runes etched to the walls nearby. Kanako blinked and looked at them. If she stared at them long enough, she could make out the intricate pattern they were arranged in.

About 5 minutes later she realized what the room was for. She was tied to the center of a table and the instruments nearby along with the runes would extract some of her magical essence from her. It didn't look like it would be fatal. From the setup, it appeared that whoever created the 'mana-extractor' (as she dubbed it) was only interested in taking as much as he/she could before the subject would be fatally drained. Chances were, they would repeat the process again when the subject had regained their magical reserves.

Unwillingly Kanako let out a yawn. It wasn't that she found the entire situation boring, but she was just too tired. Perhaps that was why they hadn't started extracting her reserves? It could well be. Still, this wasn't the time to be resting. She had to get out of there quickly.

Kanako tried moving her arms. No good she was bound too tightly. However, it seemed that her hand itself was free. She found that she could wiggle her fingers. A slow grin grew on her face. While she had magical talents, she was most skilled with Alchemy. Specifically, the sub-category that dealt with flames.

The kind of thaumatology her brother dealt with revolved around using the mana in the environment and moulding it into different forms. As an Urashima, she was familiar with it but she found that it was a lot easier for her to use the mana to change air currents. She was so skilled at it that she could separate out the different elements in the air - Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, Water … etc. It was a simple matter to get them arranged such that she could create a miniature flame.

She snapped her fingers and felt flames blow out of her finger tips. Some mental wind manipulation and she was able to divert the flames to the bindings on her limbs. In a few minutes, she was free. As Kanako got off the table, she idly noted that her captor had not undressed her. She was thankful that she was still wearing her black gothic dress. Even her shoes had been left on her legs!

'Now to find the insects who did this to me, and MAKE THEM PAY !' Kanako screamed mentally while she opened the nearest door and marched out in righteous anger.

* * *

Which turned out to be a very stupid decision as she collided with what looked like a construction worker wearing a yellow hard hat. He had a very noticeable wrench attached to his utility belt.

"Ow !" said the construction worker. "Hey kid you need to watch where you're going." as he rubbed the spot where she hit him.

"Ouch!" replied Kanako as she rubbed her head. "Watch yourself commoner ! I demand you apologize for ramming into your betters!" She sent an angry scowl in his direction.

"Sheesh ! I'm really sorry princess. But I'm not used to having royalty visiting me." he said in a sarcastic manner while he turned and took a step opposite to her. He suddenly stopped and turned his head slowly saying, "Hey, wait a minute. How did you get out in the first place?"

Kanako had taken a step away from him when she heard the question. 'Oops ?!' she thought to herself. Not having any better options, she quickly turned around and stretched out her hand towards the guy with the yellow hard hat. She snapped her fingers and watched with satisfaction as flames sprouted out.

Unfortunately, she was more drained than she realized. All she could manipulate was a moderate flame that looked pretty. And even worse, it seemed that the commoner in front of her was wearing flame-resistant clothing ! Thinking fast, she adjusted the air currents so as to generate a lot of smoke instead. With visibility reduced for her opponent, she quickly ran away from him.

Kanako didn't know where the passageway she was following led, but anywhere was better than the commoner who was chasing her! She saw a few boxes to the side and a fire extinguisher on the opposite side. She knocked over the boxes to the floor. Hopefully they would delay her captor. As she ran past the fire extinguisher she placed her palm over it and etched a small rune into it.

She was about 5 meters ahead when she heard a small explosion behind her. It looked like the boxes didn't serve as a good delay tactic, but the proximity-rune she etched on the fire extinguisher had burned and caused the container to explode when someone came close by. She looked back and saw her pursuer lying on flat on the ground. He didn't look like he was in good shape. His legs appeared to be bleeding. He wasn't knocked out and was slowly getting up. Hopefully, he would at least be slower now !

She turned back and continued running away. Kanako soon found herself in a room full of cages. There were a lot of children being held in confinement here ! A horrified expression grew on her face as she noticed the exhausted state the poor kids were in. There was food in their cells, but they were so worn out that they didn't seem capable of eating.

Kanako thought back to the room she first awakened in. Was this what her captors were planning to do with her? She felt a shudder crawl across her back and hugged herself. Good thing she was able to get away from the room ! But it would all be wasted effort if she didn't escape soon. Hopefully, there were still in the same city. It would be too much trouble if they shipped her out to a different country !

She quickly looked left and right and noticed a door at the end of the hallway. She ran towards it. Just as she reached it she felt something behind her. Kanako quickly dodged by falling on the floor towards her left side. She looked back and saw the construction working holding a modified nail gun.

"Damn brat ! Stand still !" he shouted at her. Not inclined to obey nasty commoners who shouted while threatening her life, Kanako picked up a waste-basket that was nearby and threw it at him.

He just punched it with his left hand and blew it into multiple pieces. Kanako, not wasting time quickly got up and ran towards the door. She grabbed the handle and turned.

It was locked.

She turned around and looked fearfully at her captor. He fired from his nail gun and it hit her on her left shoulder. She screamed out loud as pain shot out through her entire body. Kanako felt tears forming in her eyes. She blinked trying to recover from the pain that was drowning out her senses.

The construction worker grinned evilly as he listened to the screaming of his victim. Looked like he finally got her. He wasn't firing ordinary nails from his nail gun. What he had was a specially modified weapon for situations when he needed to subdue a wild animal. The nails themselves were about a foot in length and would easily pin down a wild bear, at least until he could ready the next shot. Speaking of which, it would be better to fire another shot at the girl. For what she did, he felt like making her suffer every inch of the way.

Kanako looked up just in time to see him fire the next shot. This time he got her right shoulder. It was a miracle that he missed her bones, but both shots pierced through her skin. Blood was leaking out and considering how tired she was, it looked like she would lose out to exhaustion before anything else.

She blinked her eyes and tried taking deep breaths. It was difficult, but she knew she had to try and stay conscious. She frowned as her assailant came closer. She watched as he brought up a wrench in his right hand.

"Damn you brat ! You have any idea how much you hurt Hitoshi ?! DO YOU ?!" he bellowed angrily.

He spun the wrench in his hand grinning evilly at her. "Normally, we are supposed to keep you specimens alive, but considering how troublesome you are I think I'll just kill you right here instead."

Kanako closed her eyes in panic. 'Onii-san, please save me !' she silently prayed in her mind.

The construction worker stopped spinning the wrench and raised it above his head. The wrench started to glow in an unnatural red glow. Just before he brought the wrench down on the girl they both heard a shout come up from behind him.

"Zankūshō (Air-Cutting Palm) !"

Kanako looked up in surprise as the commoner's eyes suddenly grew wide and the wrench he was holding lost power. He fell down in front of her unconscious. She looked behind him and saw a girl with a bokken at her side holding her right hand out-right with her plan facing her. It looked like she had fired a ki-powered shot at his back.

The girl walked up to Kanako and asked, "Are you alright?"

Kanako shook her head to clear her thoughts and took another breath to relax herself. It seemed that some help had arrived after all ! She replied, "I'm tired and wounded, but nothing serious. I'll make it."

Bokken girl then nodded her head and brought her hand to hold the nail that was stuck on Kanako's left shoulder. "This might hurt a bit. Hold still" she said as she pulled the metallic object out.

"OOOWWW!" said Kanako scrunching her face in pain.

Bokken girl then brought her palm to the wound on her shoulder and closed her eyes in concentration. Kanako felt some ki manipulation at work. The older girl then opened her eyes and said, "I'm not good with healing and all that will do is stop the bleeding. Be VERY careful until you can visit a real doctor, alright? Now for the other one."

5 minutes later Kanako had both her arms free and was able to stand on her own. She blinked her eyes and looked at her savior groggily. "Thank yo-" was all she said before she was suddenly pushed to the ground by the elder girl.

As she fell to the floor, Kanako heard a few gunshots fired in the room. From her position on the floor she looked up and saw bullet holes in the wall just where she was standing a few moments ago. Her eyes widened in fear. If bokken girl hadn't pushed her down she would have been dead.

"Lie here and pretend to be dead." bokken girl told her while she got off her and moved to the side behind some random furniture in the room.

* * *

Motoko looked up from her hiding spot to see who had come in through the door. It appeared to the be the teacher she saw earlier and she was holding a pistol. Motoko knew a bit about guns and from what she could see, she guessed that it was an automatic model. She looked back at the Goth girl and frowned. It looked like she was unconscious. 'The situation just became a lot more complicated. … or does this simplify matters ?' Motoko thought to herself.

Just then alarms rang throughout the area. A female voice came out through the intercom system,

"Warning ! Warning ! Area has been breached. All personnel evacuate immediately !"

Oddly enough, the alarms stopped and the area went silent again. Motoko watched from her hiding spot as the teacher scowled and left the room. She stood up and grew tense again as she felt the presence of multiple people coming near.

She was relieved when she saw uniformed police officers enter the room. They pointed their guns at her and shouted, "Hands up !"

Motoko blinked. Well, as odd as her situation was she could explain it in due time. She raised her hand in the air as a gesture of good faith and replied back to them, "There is a girl on the floor to my left. She needs medical attention immediately !"

The officers looked at each other and nodded. One of them approached the area that she indicated and confirmed to his college the situation. It didn't seem to them that Motoko was their opponent and he lowered his weapon.

"Ding !"

Motoko turned her head to the door and saw a black cat with long ears enter the room cautiously. The animal seemed familiar to her for some reason. To her pleasant surprise her fiancé followed in after it.

"Keitaro?" she said trying to get his attention. He looked back at her surprised.

"Motoko..?" he slowly answered. Smiling he slowly started walking towards her. Then he blinked and asked slowly, "So this is where they were holding all those abducted children ?"

"Yes" she replied, "Wait, if you didn't figure that out, what are you doing here?" she asked in puzzlement.

"Have you seen a girl wearing a black gothic dress ?" he asked instead with worry in his voice.

Motoko nodded her head but before she could reply they both heard another sound coming from the floor nearby.

"Meow !" came the purr of a cat. Keitaro looked towards the animal and saw the state of the girl the feline was cuddling next to. He shouted, "Kanako !" and ran up to unconscious girl on the floor.

* * *

_**Hinata Inn, some hours later**_

Dinner had concluded some time ago and Shinobu was asleep in her room. It was a quiet meal that night. Keitaro had moved Kanako to the spare bedroom he had prepared earlier and she was recuperating. The girl hadn't woken up since she fell unconscious. Keitaro had dressed her wounds and applied a few healing spells on her. He seemed satisfied with his work and announced that she would be resting until noon the next day. Motoko was relieved to hear that she would be alright.

At the moment both she and Keitaro were sitting in the living room with the television switched off. Motoko looked out the window and saw a half-moon between the clouds. She turned back to her fiancé and asked something that had been on her mind,

"So how did you end up there?"

Keitaro shrugged in his seat and began to pet the black cat with cute long ears who was sitting on his lap. He replied, "Well, some time after you contacted me, I found Kuro-chan here," he indicated to the cat and resumed, "in a state of panic. The poor dear was exhausted and quite literally passed out in front of the Inn. She is Kanako's familiar and is closely tied to my sister."

He paused while Kuro-chan rolled on his lap. He started tickling her exposed belly before continuing, "After I revived her, I tried asking it where Kanako was. All I could figure out what that she was exhausted and captured somewhere."

Motoko interrupted, "Wait, the cat can talk?" she asked in a surprised manner raising one of her eye-brows.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure on that. I know Kanako's been trying that for some years now and is close to success, but that is not the case for today's events. Simply put, being her familiar gives this feline a close connection to her master. Being a magus and her master's sister, I tried to trace back the connection." he replied.

Motoko nodded back in a thoughtful manner. She then asked, "I've heard of such connections between humans and animals. In fact, Onee-chan has been planning to adopt a familiar herself. However, isn't doing that dangerous? I was under the impression that a familiar would protect her master regardless of its own health."

Keitaro nodded. "Yes, that's true. But I've know Kuro-chan for a few years now and she knows that she can trust me as far as Kanako goes. If it weren't for that, I don't think it would have been easy to find that location as quick as I did."

"So what happened after that?" prodded Motoko.

"Well, as I've mentioned before Grandma is friends with some of the Police here. Considering that I knew Kanako was tied up, I assumed that she was kidnapped. Frankly I had a small suspicion that she was the girl you were following, but wasn't sure. Either way, I felt it best to get the cops involved and convinced them to stage a raid." he replied.

"That's quite some leeway you have with the local police there, you know?" Motoko asked with a small smirk.

Keitaro shrugged his shoulders and answered, "We owe each other favors. Besides, doesn't the Aoyama clan have similar connections? I would be surprised if you didn't."

Motoko smiled back and replied, "Yes, we do."

Kuro decided she had enough petting and jumped off Keitaro's lap. She snuggled up once against Motoko's legs and left in the direction of Kanako's room. On seeing the interaction Keitaro commented, "I think she likes you." Motoko just rolled her eyes.

Keitaro then raised both his hands and opened his mouth in a big yawn. It was infectious and Motoko found herself yawning as well. She blinked and pointed behind Keitaro to ask, "So what's all that?"

There were quite a few boxes kept to the side and they had travelling stamps and similar labels stuck over them. He replied, "My stuff from London. It arrived this evening. I think I'll unpack it later during the week. For now, I'm just too tired."

Motoko nodded and replied, "Yes, it's been one heck of a weekend."

She got up and began to walk towards her room. Just as she was about to open her door she felt her fiancé grab her shoulders and spun her around so that she was facing him again. She was about to ask what he wanted when he suddenly enveloped her in a hug. She felt his chin on her neck and hugged him back. For some reason the hug seemed warmer and more comfortable than the last time.

"Thank you for saving my sister." he whispered softly before disengaging the hug. He then held her out in front of himself and looked into her eyes. Motoko felt her heartbeat hasten. She looked back at him. He seemed to be debating with himself. Suddenly he brought his face closer to hers. Motoko found herself blushing and instinctively closed her eyes.

She felt him give a small kiss on her right cheek.

It passed quickly and when she opened her eyes she caught a glimpse of his bedroom door closing. Looked like he retreated to his bedroom. She brought her hand up and felt her right cheek. Her chest was still beating faster than usual but it was slowing down. She looked back but all she saw was an empty hallway. Not inclined to stand there for the rest of the night, she turned and went into her bedroom.

As she snuggled under her blanket she blushed and replied in a quiet voice to no-one, "You're welcome." It felt like she was growing more closer to her fiancé. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

_Coming Up Next "Beginning Classes for the Ronin"_

**Before you leave this page, please leave me a review! It will help improve future chapters.**


	9. Beginning Classes for the Ronin

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_It's amusing to note that I got so many reviews for the last chapter (lesson learned: bribery works!). As promised, I've sent each and every one of those who reviewed a link to my unpublished Keitaro+Mutsumi story. Most of the responses I got asked me to continue it, but I'm sorry to say that I'm out of ideas to do so.

I can't keep offering unpublished stories for those who review, but I must beg that you all to (especially new readers!) please continue to do so. Especially with your honest feedback. It really brightens my day to see your responses. Even a simple "Good/Bad chapter" will do, if you can't think of anything else. _It means alot to me._

This is by far the biggest and most eventful chapter yet. In fact, I'm especially proud of how eventful it got. A few minor characters that only appeared in the Love Hina anime pop up in this chapter. Can you spot them? I think I might be the only author on to use them in a story. At least, I haven't seen them pop-up elsewhere. If I'm wrong, could you point me to the relevant story? (You get to deflate my ego in the process!)

I am a very _vocal_ critic of Naru-bashing. You can see it in the reviews I leave behind on other stories. Frankly I just find it unsettling that most stories when she is not paired with Keitaro have her acting … not nice (to put it mildly). That said, I'm beginning to wonder if she's cursed. Just look at the way I ended up writing about her, in spite of how I feel! I will make no excuses. Feel free to burn me in the reviews if you deem it necessary.

I promised in reply to most (if not all) of my reviewers that this would be a Kanako-centered chapter. I like to think that I fulfilled that at least halfway. There is more to the story to do with her, but it will come up in later chapters as the situation requires.

Now as a special treat to my beta-readers, I'm formally introducing Fridge-kun and Stove-chan to the cast! They won't get much screen-time, but I hope you'll like what you see. Frankly, I find it puzzling that something I introduced as a minor side distraction gained so much attention. **EagleCeres** (from TFF) in particular has been writing some really amusing omakes with them that I'm trying to figure out how to introduce those into the story.

Last but not least, I wish to thank the following people for proof-reading this chapter - **Without Remorse**, **EagleCeres & bespa **(all from TFF). I would not have improved my writing if it weren't for your inputs. Please give them a big round of applause everyone!

_-chronodekar  
_(7/October/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima (20 years old), a mage-in-training has agreed to 'try out' an engagement with Motoko Aoyama (19 years old) a master of the Shinmei-ryu style of kenjutsu. They will formally decide within the next 4 months if they should continue onto a marriage or not. In the meantime, Keitaro is pursuing a dual-degree program while Motoko is preparing for a second attempt at the Toudai entrance exam (she failed the first time).

The two of them have accepted guardianship over a young girl named Shinobu Maehara (12 years old) while her mother is out of station. The little one is living with them at the Inn and bakes cakes as a hobby at school.

Kanako Urashima (17 years old), our hero's sister was kidnapped last chapter. Motoko rescued her and broke up the gang who were abducting children throughout the city. Kanako is a magi herself who owns a pet cat as her familiar. It's called Kuro (or more affectionately, Kuro-chan).

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore  
(chapter - 09)

_Beginning Classes for the Ronin_

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Shinobu, Motoko and Keitaro were sitting around the kitchen table starting their breakfast. It was toast and omelets today. As Shinobu bit into her toast she looked at her two guardians sitting next to her and asked, "So what happened last night?" She had been sent to bed early and woke up a short while ago.

Keitaro looked back at her as he slowly brought down the cup he was holding. He replied, "Well, it's a bit of a long story, but the short version is that my sister was abducted and Motoko bravely went to rescue her. In the process, we raided the hideout of the villains who had been abducting children recently and they've all been reunited with their families."

Shinobu turned towards Motoko and her face lit up in admiration. She said, "Wow! Motoko-sempai that's amazing!"

Keitaro added on with a smile to his face, "Yes, she's amazing isn't she?"

Motoko lightly blushed under all the admiration she was getting and said, "Oh please stop it. You are embarrassing me!"

On hearing that he decided to turn his attention to Shinobu and with a wink he commented, "She's humble too."

Motoko blushed a bit more and to cover it, began eating and crunching her toast very loudly.

"... But she has such horrible table manners. One would think that a so-called Shinmei-ryu master would have been taught better." he teased his fiancée.

Hearing that Motoko frowned slightly and narrowing her eyes she tried glaring at him while retorting, "And whose fault would that be?" The effect was diminished by the blush she had on. Keitaro thought it looked kawaii (cute) but refrained from commenting.

Shinobu took the pause to ask a question that had been bugging her since she woke up. "What are all those boxes in the front room? I don't remember them being there yesterday."

Keitaro blinked and turned his attention back to the little girl. "Oh, those are my belongings and related material from London. Imouto (younger sister) brought them when she arrived yesterday."

Having recovered from her embarrassment Motoko asked, "So when are you going to unpack them?"

Pausing his breakfast, Keitaro looked up and brought his hand under his chin to think. He replied, "I'm not quite sure yet. Speaking of which, don't your preparatory school classes start today?"

Motoko nodded her head as she replied, "Yes, I'll need to leave after breakfast."

"Hmm..." mumbled Keitaro as he absently nodded his head. Turning to the youngest member present he asked, "And what are your plans for the day, Shinobu-chan?"

Said girl took a bit of time swallowing her toast before replying, "School may be closed, but my club is still meeting over the summer. I'll need to go there today. On the nice side, I won't need to wear my uniform." She was smiling as she finished.

Keitaro finished drinking his coffee before asking, "Which club are you a member of?"

Shinobu smiled proudly before answering, "The cooking club !" Keitaro stiffened when he heard that. Shinobu not noticing continued on, "That reminds me Keitaro-sempai, can I practise with the kitchen here? Motoko-sempai told me to ask you."

Keitaro covered his mouth with his hand and grimaced. It was his kitchen, dammit! He didn't really want anyone else coming in and staining it. 'How to handle the situation?' he pondered to himself.

Motoko decided to add with a smile, "She says she's good at baking. In fact, she promised me that she would bake us all a nice cake for her first culinary attempt here!" Her eyes seemed to twinkle to her fiancé.

Keitaro sighed in defeat. He knew he would have to share the kitchen while Kanako was around anyway. 'Perhaps this would help kill two birds with one stone?' he asked himself.

"Alright, but can we do this, this evening instead? That way I can introduce Kanako to the kitchen as well and it would save me the trouble of doing it twice." he replied.

Shinobu nodded her head and answered, "Thank you Sempai! You won't regret it! … Errr... who's Kanako?"

Keitaro blinked. Then he realized that he hadn't mentioned his sister's name so far in the conversation. "Sorry Shinobu-chan. Kanako is my sister. I'll introduce you to her when she recovers and wakes up this evening."

It was Shinobu's turn to blink in confusion. "Did something happen to her?" she asked politely.

Keitaro adjusted his glasses before replying, "Well, both her shoulders were pierced by some metallic object. Fortunately, her bones were spared but it was still a nasty wound. She should have been with us for breakfast, but I guess she is too tired from her trip." he frowned a bit as he wondered why she was so exhausted.

"Perhaps I could visit her in the hospital?" Shinobu suggested.

Keitaro smiled as he replied, "Oh no, she's not in a hospital. I moved her to the room I was cleaning out yesterday. Took me awhile, but I'm sure all my spells were effective."

This statement surprised Shinobu. She decided to voice her confusion, "Wait, you know healing magic, Keitaro-sempai?"

Keitaro smirked and lifted his chin proudly, "Of course! In fact, I'm a master healer registered with two international magic associations! What else did you think the Urashima speciality was? Curses, broken limbs, jinxes, dandruff - you name it we can treat it! Or at the very least, direct you how to remedy it yourself."

Shinobu blinked in admiration. She learned something new about her sempai today! But there was still something puzzling her, "So why didn't you join a medical school sempai?"

Keitaro gave a long sigh before replying, "It's because our systems are not fully compatible. The thaumaturgical way of healing looks at things from a different perspective. What makes the situation worse is that a lot of the techniques are similar but have very different reasoning. It would be too confusing to try and learn them both simultaneously."

Shinobu just nodded her head. She didn't fully understand, but she felt she got the gist of it.

* * *

_**30 minutes later, Hinata Inn entrance**_

Motoko was dressed in a white blouse and black skirt that reached below her knees. Her hair was combed back into a ponytail and she had her books in a bag slung over her shoulder. She wore white sneakers and just turned to face her two housemates to speak with them.

"Looks like I'm ready to go." she said.

"You forgot this." Keitaro reminded her as he brought up a lunch box wrapped in a green napkin. "I made a bento (lunch box) for you today morning. No point in skipping lunch, now is there?" he continued.

Motoko blinked as she accepted the parcel. "You needn't have troubled yourself. I was planning to buy something from a nearby restaurant."

She regretted saying that as soon as the words left her mouth. Her fiancé looked back at her with the most pitiable expression of sadness on his face. He even had the puppy-dog eyes out behind his glasses and was about to cry! His mouth was whimpering and she began to wonder from where all the background sparkles came from as he whined, "You don't like my cooking?"

This time, it was Motoko who was having a hard time replying. Did she really have a choice with him looking like _that?_ She visibly tensed and replied, "No, no, no! Nothing like that! I really enjoy your cooking. In fact, I'm looking forward to eating your bento more than ever now!" while raising her hands and making gestures to try and comfort her fiancé.

For his part, Keitaro wiped his eyes and looked back at his fiancée with a smile on his face. He said, "Well, then it looks like I have nothing to worry about!"

Motoko raised one of her eyebrows and asking in a curious voice, "Speaking of which, why are you dressed up?"

Shinobu turned to face her sempai. He was wearing a green shirt and brown pants. His hair was combed and it looked like he washed his face. He had a pair of shoes on and was holding the keys to the Inn. It was obvious that he was planning to lock it up.

"I plan to accompany Shinobu-chan to her school today. It's the first time she'll be walking there from here and I felt she would appreciate some company. Besides, I'm curious to know how far the trip is myself." he replied.

Shinobu smiled and gave him a small bow. "Oh, thank you sempai! That's really nice of you."

Keitaro just returned the smile and ruffled her head with his right hand. "Think nothing of it. I promised to look after you didn't I? I like to think that I keep my promises."

"What are you hiding there behind your back?" asked Motoko as she tried to walk behind him. He was holding something with his left hand and tried to keep it out of sight for the whole conversation. He blocked her from moving behind him and just brought out the package he was holding. It turned out to be another bento.

"I made another bento for Shinobu-chan too, but considering that she's going to meet her friends in the cooking club, I'm not exactly sure if she needs it." he replied.

Shinobu just stretched out her hands to receive her lunch. "On thank you very much Keitaro-sempai! I'm sure it will be fun sharing your bento with all my friends at lunch today. We don't cook that much food and besides, we're trying out different jello shapes today."

He handed her the bento and commented, "Hmm.. that was unexpected." He locked the Inn behind him and turned to leave with the others.

"What about Kanako? Will she be alright by herself in her room?" Motoko asked concerned that they were locking someone in the house.

Keitaro waved a hand in front of him to dismiss her worry and said, "Don't worry about her. She still needs rest and Kuro-chan is with her. Besides, I should be back soon enough myself."

A question mark popped up above Shinobu's head and she asked, "Who's Kuro-chan?"

"She's Kanako's familiar - a cat." Keitaro replied before letting out a sigh. "We really need to introduce the two of you soon." he commented.

The three of them walked down the steps to the Inn entrance. They split up, with Motoko heading towards her entrance coaching classes by herself. Keitaro and Shinobu turned to walk in the opposite direction.

* * *

_**Guest room 107, Hinata Inn**_

Kanako slowly opened her eyelids. It was bright and her vision was unfocused. She could feel a few tears in her eyes. She blinked a few more times to clear her sight. She found herself looking at the ceiling. A fan was slowly spinning and it looked familiar. She glanced to the side and saw a dresser to her left. There was a big mirror next to it. And a window showing the afternoon sun shining outside. She spotted a few trees outside the window. It looked like she was in a hotel or rich manor.

Still lying on the bed she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Then she heard a sound coming from her stomach.

"Meow!" said Kuro who was resting on the blanket over her belly. She smiled at her familiar. If she was here and relaxed then it meant that Kanako herself was safe. Wherever she was. She pushed the cat off herself and moved to a sitting position. As she did so the blanket that was covering her fell to her waist and she noticed that her hands were bare.

'Did someone undress me?' she asked herself as she let out a yawn. She tried raising her hands but the movement pained her shoulders. Then she remembered! She had been attacked by that odd construction worker. Then as she was about to get killed, some random kendo girl showed up and saved her. She couldn't remember anything after that. Her memories felt hazy.

Kanako blinked again and looked at herself. Someone had indeed undressed her but left her white bra intact. With a bit of trepidation she lifted the blanket to look at her legs. She was in her pajama pants! But then that would mean …

The sound of a door opening came from her right side and she turned to see her brother poking his head into the room.

"Imouto, you're awake!" Keitaro said as he pushed the door fully open and walked into the room with a cheerful expression.

Kanako closed her eyes in relief. If he was here that surely meant that she was in the Hinata Sou. No wonder the ceiling looked familiar! She opened her eyes to look at her brother. He was wearing the same glasses she had presented to him on his birthday. He had a blue shirt that had the top 2 buttons undone, giving her a peek at the white undershirt he was wearing below. He was wearing a set of white trousers and appeared to be barefoot. He also had his usual watch on his left hand.

"Onii-san it's good to see you again!" she said with happiness in her voice. The she paused and coughed. Her throat felt dry and her voice was raspy. She looked around and saw a jug of water on a table nearby and a glass next to it. Her brother deduced what she wanted and began to pour some water into the glass without any prompting. He held out the glass to her and she drank it all in one gulp.

"I needed that. Thanks." she said as she watched her brother adjust his glasses with his right hand. She recognized the gesture. She had seen it more times that she could remember. It meant that …

Keitaro blinked as he adjusted his glasses. He then began to analyze the patient in front of him. She seemed to be healing well and was almost done. "First things first. How are your shoulders?" he asked.

Kanako sighed. Her brother had just entered his 'healer mode'. That meant he would not let anything distract him until he was satisfied that his patient (in this case, herself) was alright. She replied, "I feel a bit of a sting on both shoulders. When I raised my hands a few moments ago, they hurt."

She looked at her shoulders and noticed some paper with a rune marking stuck on both of them. They looked like her brother's thaumaturgical circles. She turned back to her brother and watched as he gently lifted Kuro-chan to the side and sat down next to her.

Keitaro brought a hand under his chin and hummed while analyzing her shoulders. After a few moments, he blinked and looked back at her face. He said, "It looks like your wounds are as good as healed. All that's left is the outer skin. I decided it would be best to wait till you were conscious before I started working on that."

Kanako nodded and sat up a bit straighter while adjusting her shoulders so that he could have easy access to them. He placed his right palm over her left shoulder on top of the paper with his thaumaturgical seal. She felt a small shudder roll across her body from when his bare fingers touched her skin. She watched as he brought his other hand over his chest and close his eyes. He started mumbling something softly but she wasn't paying attention. It just felt good having her Onii-san next to her!

The procedure was soon over and Keitaro removed the paper on her left shoulder and Kanako tilted her head to look at it. She didn't feel any more pain and there wasn't even any scarring left over either! He repeated the process on her right shoulder. When he was done Kanako was able to raise both her hands high into the air without feeling any pain in her shoulders.

Keitaro for his part blinked his eyes and turned his 'healer mode' off. He smiled as he watched his sister stretch her hands. When she was done she picked up her familiar and placed her in the space between them. She started petting her feline companion.

"So how did I end up here? Last I remember was fainting in some creepy dungeon." she asked her brother.

Keitaro just brought his hand under Kuro's chin and began to lightly scratch it. Kuro enjoyed the ministrations and purred in contentment. He then said, "Well, I found Kuro-chan wobbling across the front of the Inn all by herself yesterday evening. It was obvious that you were in trouble, so I contacted some of our friends in the Police department and with her help managed to find you."

Kanako smiled and paused petting her cat. She looked at her and asked, "Is that true Kuro-chan? Did you bring Onii-san and the Police to my rescue?" Kuro meowed in response. From her familiar bond she felt that it meant 'yes'.

"Good kitty!" she replied happily as she resumed the petting session. Kuro-chan just purred in response. It sounded like she was enjoying herself. Her tail was swinging left and right.

She looked back at her brother and asked, "So what happened after that? Did you bring me back to the Inn?"

He looked back at her sheepishly and replied, "Obviously. What else was I supposed to do? Leave you on the floor back there till you came to your senses?"

Kanako smiled back at his teasing. It was good to know that he cared for her. She then remembered something and asked with a small blush, "So … what about the dress I was wearing? And why am I in my pajama pants?"

Keitaro just looked back at her with a skeptical expression and raised one of his eyebrows. He then said, "Your shoulders were obviously injured and needed medical attention. I had no idea if that was your only injury, so I undressed and checked you up. The good news is that there were no other major injuries. Just a few minor bruises here and there - they were easily healed."

He paused and scratched his nose as a small blush grew on his own face. He then continued, "You would have been cold if I left you to sleep in just your underwear, so I fished out your pajamas from your luggage and dressed you. I would have you wear your pajama top too, but the ink on the healing paper I placed over your shoulders is slow to dry and I didn't want to disturb it. In the end, I had to settle for covering you with just the blanket."

Kanako just smiled and nodded silently. It wasn't the first time he had to heal her when she got in trouble. She had easy access to his back from the position he was sitting next to her, so she wrapped her hands around his waist and gave him an affectionate hug. It was the kind of embrace that siblings share to comfort each other. She rested her head on his back and asked, "So where is my luggage now?"

He pointed to the floor on the side of the bed near the pillow where she was resting. There was a box placed over there. "It's there." he replied patting her hands over his stomach.

She lifted her head to look at it. Satisfied that it was where he indicated she asked, "And the rest of what I brought with me from London?"

He pointed to the door from which he entered the room and said, "It's out in the living room. We can unpack it later." She untangled herself from him and nodded her head in response. She watched as he got up and moved towards the door. Just before he left he turned back and said,

"Do you think you can change into a swimsuit and meet me in the hot spring? No harm in letting the healing energies of the spring wash over you and I think it will be good for your body too."

She nodded enthusiastically and replied, "Sure, Onii-san! I'll meet you there soon."

Kanako watched from the bed as her brother smiled back at her and left the room. After a few minutes she got up herself and began rummaging through her luggage.

* * *

_**Hot Springs, Hinata Sou**_

Kanako opened the doors to the hot springs with anticipation. It had been about 2 or 3 years since she last came here and she was looking forward to a good soak. The fact that her brother would be in with her was an added bonus. She smiled as she saw the pools and the steam coming out from them. The stones were cleaned - no doubt thanks to her brother.

She walked up to the edge of the pools and gently placed her towel on one of the rocks nearby. Having satisfied that it would not slip into the water, she walked in. She felt a tingling sensation climb up her body as she moved deeper into the water.

Kanako looked around and saw her brother sitting on the far end of the spring. There wasn't much steam today, so it was easy to spot him. It looked like he was leaning his back on one of the rocks and had his eyes closed. She smiled as her gaze fell on his bare chest.

"Onii-san!" she called out to him.

She saw him lift his head up and look around. When he spotted her he waved his hand and gestured her to come sit near him. With warm feelings in her heart, she came up next to him.

As she settled into a comfortable spot near him she commented, "Aaaaahh! This is just wonderful. I missed having a soak in the springs here."

"I know what you mean." he replied. Then thinking back to how his first soak with Tsuruko and Motoko went he added, "It was _very _relaxing for all of us when I finally got the spring all fixed up."

Kanako thought she felt something … _off_ about how he said that. She asked for clarification, "Did something happen?"

Keitaro blinked when she asked that. He didn't really want to describe how it went to anyone, especially his sister. He decided to take the diplomatic answer, "There was some confusion about bathing customs - I just opened it after a long time after all. But nothing to concern yourself with."

She just squeezed her lips together and made a frown while giving a silent nod in response. There was no point in pressing her brother over something like this. Especially when she didn't have any real idea of what might have happened.

He then asked, "So how was the trip overall? Barring the … unfortunate set of events at the end."

She yawned before answering. The water was really relaxing. Then she recalled his question. She yawned again. "It was reeeeally boring. There was nothing for me to do! Just eat, sit around or sleep." she complained.

"There weren't any other passengers with you?" he asked skeptically.

"There were lots of old fogies who were more interested in playing cards than coming out of their rooms to enjoy the breeze. And the women were equally dull. They just wanted to chat about knitting, celebrity gossip and other dull things." she replied in a resigned voice.

"That … actually sounds quite normal to me. What else would you have wanted to talk about? I would have thought that celebrity gossip was your thing." he suggested.

"Are you seriously asking what I would enjoy talking about? Come on Onii-san! You know that better than anyone, it's …" as she trailed off, Keitaro brought a hand to his face in defeat. For a brief moment, he had forgotten what his sister's most favorite topic of conversation was.

"EROGE!" Kanako screamed bringing up her right hand in a fist and raising it above her head. Standing, she turned to her brother and gave a salute that would have rivalled Napoleon as he led his troops into a victorious battle.

"The poses! The ecstasy! The passion! The thrill that goes through your body as you achieve the peak of climax!" she continued.

Keitaro sighed as he let his sister ramble on. Idly he thought that if he were some other male the sight of Kanako standing and speaking like that with water dripping slowly off her would be sexually attractive. As things were, in his mind she would always be his sister first and foremost - whether they were biologically related to or not.

Still, he couldn't help but smile at her antics. Sister or not, it was still enjoyable watching a wet and well-built female talk like that.

It was then that he noticed something. Interrupting her tirade he suddenly asked in a cross voice, "Imouto! What are you wearing right now?"

She stopped and looked down at herself. Her black bra and matching panties were still on. The water had caused the cloth to stick on her body. It didn't feel like it was going to drop off, so why was he worried? She answered, "My regular underwear, why?"

He just looked back at her with disbelief written on his face. With a sigh he relaxed himself and tiredly asked, "Do you remember what I told you? Back in your room?"

Kanako brought a finger to her chin and looked up while she thought. Her eyes widened in realization and she looked back at her brother to reply, "Oh yes! But I didn't have my swimsuit with me, so I came like this." After a pause she asked in a neutral voice, "Should I take it off?"

As a reply, Keitaro just held the hand at her side and gently pulled her back into the spring. Letting out another sigh he said, "It doesn't matter any more. Might as well just sit back and relax. You can go shopping for a swimsuit some other time."

Puzzled she asked, "But what's wrong with my bra and panties? They cover me up satisfactorily, right?"

Inwardly, Keitaro smiled to himself. At least she wasn't trying to seduce him. He knew she did it playfully (at least he hoped so!), but it was still troublesome. He looked up to her face and replied, "You usually prefer that 37.32% cotton brand of underwear. They have it listed as a warning - NOT to expose it to hot water when washing them. It's something I look out for when doing our laundry. Our hot spring here, obviously qualifies for that and I'm afraid that about an hour after you step out of here that pair you are currently wearing will either shrink or tear up."

Kanako blinked at that. She hadn't realized it herself. She just said, "Oh." bringing both her hands to cover her mouth.

Keitaro just looked back out at the hot springs and observed the steam rising from them. Without turning to face her he said, "Please do me a favor imouto? Try not to trouble your dorm mother when you get back to London? I know she'll handle the laundry and other needs for you, but she isn't family and might not be as tolerant as me towards your … slip-ups."

Kanako just looked back at the spring water in front of her. She didn't like causing her brother trouble. She softly replied, "I'll try not to trouble her."

On hearing that Keitaro took a deep breath and leaned back. He replied, "That's good."

Kanako moved closer to her brother and leaned on him. The two of them spent the remainder of their time in the hot springs relaxing silently.

* * *

_**Outside the Preparatory school**_

Motoko clasped both her hands behind her head and stretched out with her elbows at shoulder-level. She was walking down the steps of her Preparatory school. They had some gruelling tests in the morning session and she was exhausted. It was lunch break at the moment and she decided that some fresh air was needed. There was a park nearby and she began walking in that direction planning to eat in there.

She was holding the bento Keitaro made in her left hand and was leisurely walking towards the park entrance. It took her less than 3 minutes to get there. Once inside she took a deep breath. It was nice smelling the fresh grass. Certainly a lot better than the air conditioned exam hall she was in an hour ago!

When they dismissed the class, everyone went their own way. Motoko tried to catch one of her fellow student's attention, but it didn't seem like anyone was feeling sociable today. There was that one girl wearing thick coke-bottle glasses with her hair tied in two braids that looked a bit lonely, but she moved off pretty quickly too. Motoko sighed as she looked around the park. Perhaps it was because it was the first day that everyone was feeling nervous? She hoped that it would not be too hard to make friends.

She found an empty spot on the grass and settled down. She spread the large napkin over the grass and placed her bento on top of it. She looked at the top of the container with trepidation. It wasn't the first time that she ate from a bento, but now that she was in the park and about to eat, she realized that it was the first time that a _male_ cooked for her. The she blinked and realized what she was thinking. Surely _Keitaro_ wouldn't try anything funny now would he? He's not the kind to drug her food or anything, right? It's not like he would sprinkle some aphrodisiac on it or anything, right?

Motoko suddenly stiffened. 'I am doing it again!' she berated herself. She was needlessly getting suspicious of her fiancé. Again! She firmly closed her eyes and wore a frown on her face. 'I should be ashamed of my thoughts!' she scolded herself. 'He's had plenty of opportunity so far to try anything to the food I ate and has never done so. Besides, what is the point of drugging my lunch when he isn't even here?'

She took a few more breaths to calm herself. Once she was sure that she was feeling alright, she opened her eyes and looked down at the lunch-box her fiancé gave her. Before any further suspicions could sprout in her mind she quickly seized the box with both her hands and opened it.

Motoko could only stare at the contents of her lunch in amazement. The main course was vegetable fried rice that was neatly packed. Some green peas were arranged in a happy smiley face in the middle of the rice. To the side were placed a few sausages that were cut into octopus shapes. He had even placed a small piece of cake in the corner as dessert!

She slowly raised her chopsticks and started eating.

A small while later Keitaro's fiancée was sitting on the grass with an empty lunch-box next to her and an expression of pure bliss written on her face. It was the face of someone who was content and satisfied with life.

Motoko swayed a bit from her posture on the grass. She had eaten from bentos before but _this_ was nothing like that at all. It was positively _wonderful._ She knew that Keitaro was a good cook, but he had really outdone himself today. She idly recalled the old saying, 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.' Motoko wondered if their positions were reversed. At the very least, she was most certainly getting addicted to Keitaro's cooking.

'Damn that male!' she mumbled to herself as she got up and left her spot with a smile on her face.

* * *

Motoko was about to leave the park when she felt something coming from her side. She turned her head to face that direction and noticed a bunch of trees. It didn't feel like a demonic presence, but it made her uncomfortable. She blinked and looked at the trees again. No change. She still felt the same. She looked at her watch and saw that she still had plenty of time to get back to the Coaching center.

Deciding to investigate, she turned her legs and slowly approached the cluster of trees. She heard a few voices when she got closer.

"Come on, why don't you come with us?"

"Yeah, we know a nice place … away from here."

"No, please … I … don't .."

Motoko didn't like what she was hearing and crept behind a tree. She peeked out and saw a disturbing scene. Two middle aged men were trying to molest a young high-school girl! The poor thing was frightened out of her wits and unable to speak coherently. It was plainly obvious however that she was very uncomfortable with her two older companions.

Motoko's mouth turned into a frown and she narrowed her eyes on the scene. It didn't look like the men were armed. They both seemed to be in their early 40's. She pulled out her bokken from her pocket and held it in her hand. She was about to expand it to its full length when she got an idea. 'Perhaps I could handle this without any weapons' she thought to herself. A small glint of sparkle appeared in her eye.

She put the bokken away and openly approached the group. In a hesitant voice she asked out loud, "Ex-Excuse me, but am I bothering you?"

The two men looked towards her direction. The high-schooler's eyes just expanded in horror that someone else would be caught. She tried shaking her head to hint to the newcomer to run away.

"Oh no miss! Not. At. All. Your company would be most appreciated." leered the older of the two with a slimy voice.

The other one took the opportunity to put his arm around the younger girl. She just looked back at him with a horrified expression that screamed DISGUSTING!

Motoko narrowed her eyes on the one who had just raised his other hand nearer to the young girl's chest. She said in a low voice, "She does NOT appreciate what you are doing. Kindly stop or else …" she trailed off.

The older man nearer to her just squeezed his eyes and blatantly leered at Motoko's chest. Even if he wasn't touching her, she felt violated. He then suggested, "Perhaps you'll give us your company instead?"

In a cold tone she replied, "That is something you will need to earn. And you are doing a very poor job of it so far." She suddenly sprinted ahead and went behind the groper. Before he could even react, she grabbed the hand that he had around the high-schooler's neck and freed it. She then brought the offending arm behind the man's back and twisted it. His face betrayed the pain he was feeling and he let out a small scream.

His companion just started at the scene in horror. This was NOT the way they planned it!

Motoko the released the groper's hand from his back and raised her right leg. She kicked him at his back and sent him flying towards his older companion. The two of them tumbled to the ground.

The kendoist then stepped up in front of the two molesters and said in a low voice, "Unless you want to get the Police involved, I suggest that you leave my friend along and _never bother her again._"

Quite visibly the two of them were quivering in fear. The tone of voice that Motoko just used was not to be challenged. They quickly got up and ran. Not once did they look back.

As soon as they were out of sight, Motoko turned back to the other female present. She seemed to be in a state of shock. The kendoist smiled warmly at her. The young girl had nice brown hair tied in twin-bun ponytails.

Motoko came up to her and enveloped her in a light hug. She slowly stroked her back and whispered to her, "It's alright ... Don't worry ... Those bad men are gone now ... They won't bother you ... Come on, cheer up."

Idly Motoko noticed that the smaller girl was only about as tall her own shoulder. She had started sobbing a bit while her back was stroked, but appeared to be calm now. Motoko released her from the hug and said, "My name is Motoko Aoyama, I'm studying at the Preparatory school nearby. What's your name?"

"Emi Ichikawa. I'm a high-schooler at Kyon High School, near here." she replied.

Motoko patted the girl on her head. She said, "Well Emi-chan, I need to be going now and I guess you need to as well, right?"

Emi looked at her watch and gasped, "Oh dear! My lunch break is almost over! And my friends will be so worried about me!"

Motoko just smiled back at the girl and gave her a small push out of the cluster of trees they were in and said, "Don't worry about me. You just get back to where you are supposed to be!"

Emi took two steps before stopping. She suddenly turned around and bowed towards Motoko saying, "Thank you Motoko-sempai! I will never forget this kindness you've shown me!"

As she leaned back up, Motoko noticed a blush on the younger girl's face. The high-schooler then turned around and quickly ran out. The kendoist looked at her own watch. She didn't have much time left, but she wasn't athletic for nothing. She quickly spun round herself and sprinted back to her Coaching center.

* * *

_**Outside the Preparatory school**_

Motoko yawned as she stepped out of her Preparatory school. It was becoming a habit. She idly blinked and looked around. At least she wasn't the only student who felt that way. Perhaps there was something about the difference in environment that caused students to yawn the moment they stepped outside? Motoko was half-tempted to write a thesis paper on it.

Still, now wasn't the time for that. It was near evening and time to go home. That meant taking the metro rail back and then walking to the Hinata Sou. She started walking towards the metro station.

After a few minutes of walking she noticed that many of her fellow students were also walking along the same path. Chances were, they wanted to take the metro too. She wondered if she could find some company among them. The afternoon classes were strict and she didn't get much opportunity to talk with anyone. She looked around and saw many of the students in clusters of two or three. That was disappointing. She didn't want to seem like the odd one out by talking to a group.

A bit more searching and she finally spotted someone walking alone a little in front of her. It was the brown haired girl she noticed earlier. She had her hair tied in 2 braids that hung on her back across both her shoulders.

Motoko walked a little behind the girl for a little while. From what she had seen at the Coaching center so far, the geek-girl in front of her was a recluse. She didn't really talk to anyone but paid all her attention to the lectures the teachers were giving. While she gave everyone the cold shoulder, one incident in particular caught Motoko's attention.

It was a little after their lunch break. One of the faculty was on leave and they had a free period. Most of the students spent their time wandering around the building. Motoko had just come out of the library when she came across a boy being more assertive than he should with another girl. She didn't recognize either, but the anti-pervert in her knew what to do. She was about to approach the boy when the geek-girl walked by and _slipped_ next to them. While it looked accidental, the kendoist saw the geek-girl deliberately throw her pen as she fell in the boy's direction. It hit him on his knee and he was grimacing in pain. The distraction was enough for the girl he was bothering to escape.

It amused Motoko to think that someone couldn't flirt because he took a pen to the knee.

That wasn't the only incident. As the rest of the day went by, she noticed that the geek-girl kept doing similar things. She never got involved in the problem directly, but did something or the other to remedy the situation. There was even a plan by some girls to cause problems for another boy. Geek-girl's solution was to simply run between them shouting "A Rat !". Motoko smiled as she recollected the incident. The girls were in such a panicked state that they left the boy alone.

It intrigued Motoko to a great extent that such a person existed. She wanted to know geek-girl a little more and she was determined to do it. One way or another!

She walked faster and moved to geek-girl's side. Motoko idly noticed the coke-bottle glasses geek-girl was wearing obscured her eyes. Or perhaps geek-girl could see through them but to Motoko they just looked like giant spirals.

Our heroine decided to try the traditional approach by saying, "Hello!" in a cheerful voice. The response was not what she was expecting.

"Excuse me?" replied geek-girl. "Are you talking to me?"

Motoko made an exaggerated gesture of looking around and then turned back to geek-girl to reply, "Well, there isn't anyone else noteworthy around here, so unless you claim that I can talk to invisible people, it's gotta be you."

"Oh." was the dull response from geek-girl.

Motoko grew a bit concerned. This was not going the way she hoped. Politely she asked, "Errr... I'm not bothering you am I? You looked a bit lonely walking by yourself that I felt the need to talk to you."

In a deadpan voice geek-girl answered, "Or is it because _you_ were lonely that you decided to pick me, the one who's walking alone?"

Motoko blinked. 'She might be having issues' she thought to herself. Out loud she said, "Does it matter? I've seen you at the Preparatory school. We attend the same classes."

"We do?" said geek-girl in a confused voice.

That caused Motoko to blink twice. "You mean you don't even notice your own classmates?" she asked in surprise.

"Classmates?" answered geek-girl in a voice full of contempt. "Do you honestly think we're all buddies in there? I don't know who you are sister, but in case you didn't know it's a _competitive_ exam we're facing. We are all opponents. It is to _my advantag_e to see that you fail. Same with you! I do not like being chummy with someone who may one day betray me. Ergo - I do not want to get close to anyone in class!"

Motoko raised her eyes in wonder. 'Oh yes, this one most certainly has issues.' she told herself. With a smirk on her face she replied to geek-girl, "That's wonderful! I too do not like associating with people who may betray me one day. We are very alike! Tell me - what is your name?"

Geek-girl was getting really annoyed now. It was difficult to see her face with those coke-bottle glasses, but Motoko could feel it in her aura. With the biggest frown Motoko had ever seen in her life geek-girl replied, "Are you dumb?! I just told you that I do NOT want to associate with you. I refuse to tell you my name!"

She nearly shouted that out and was so angry that she didn't notice the turn coming up and walked straight into a little schoolgirl. The result what that the books which she was carrying in her hand fell to the ground. Motoko had to give geek-girl credit. In spite of the fall, she somehow managed to keep her glasses on.

What confirmed something for the kendoist was geek-girl's reaction after the fall.

She brought her hand to her bottom and started rubbing it. "What just happened?" she asked to no-one in particular. She looked around and saw a schoolgirl on the ground in front of her. Geek-girl's voice instantly softened and she asked in a worried voice, "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

Geek-girl got up quickly and went to the schoolgirl on the ground. She helped the little one up and dusted some of the dirt off her. Once she was satisfied that the schoolgirl was fine, she watched her go. Only then did she start looking around for the books she dropped. Unfortunately they weren't on the ground anymore.

"Looking for these Naru Narusegawa?" asked the annoyance who was bothering her for the past few minutes. She was holding out the books she dropped.

With a grimace geek-girl snatched the books from the pest's hand and accused her in an upset tone, "It's rude to peek into other's books without permission! Why don't you mind your own damn business?"

Without missing a beat the pest replied, "My name is Motoko Aoyama."

"I didn't ask you for your name!" was the hot response.

"Now that we know each other's names, we are acquaintances!" she replied ignoring the angry girl.

Motoko then brought a finger under her chin and continued in a wondering tone (very similar to her sister's behaviour on certain occasions), "But this won't do. I want to be friends with you."

Naru was audibly grinding her teeth. She almost shouted in an angry tone, "I most certainly do NOT want to be friends with _you!_"

A small light bulb lit up above Motoko's head. She folded her right hand into a fist and brought it down into the palm of her left hand. "Ah Ha! I've got it!" she exclaimed happily.

Naru let out the breath she was holding. "Finally! My shouting has penetrated that thick skull of yours-" was how much she said before being interrupted.

Motoko then pointed a finger at Naru and said, "I'll call you Naru-chan! It's a lot easier to say, isn't it?" She then pointed to herself and continued, "And you can call me Motoko-chan or simply Motoko, whichever you prefer."

Motoko then brought one hand to rest on Naru's shoulder and with a smile said, "There! We're friends now."

One of Naru's eyes began twitching. She was looking at Motoko with murder in her eyes. 'There is no way this pest could _ever_ become my friend.' she thought to herself.

Motoko opted to ignore the murderous stare and glanced ahead. They were both now in the metro rail station. She pointed towards one direction and said, "I'm afraid we must split up here. My home is in that direction. I'm guessing you want to proceed that way?" she pointed in another direction recalling the address she read from Naru's notebook.

Relieved that the pest would be gone Naru just stomped off towards the platform where her train would arrive, ignoring the "goodbye" Motoko sent her way.

* * *

_**Inside Metro Train Compartment**_

Motoko was feeling a bit unhappy. She couldn't get a seat on the metro ride and was forced to remain standing. On the bright side it wasn't too crowded (by Japanese standards). The compartment she was in _was_ full, but she was still able to maneuver a bit to either side if she wished.

As she watched the scenery go by she idly noted that the sun hadn't set. Her thoughts were on the puzzle that was called Naru Narusegawa. Why would she behave as she did? It didn't make sense to her. Sure, she could understand that some people did not like company and preferred to keep to themselves. But then to expend so much effort for … she couldn't think of a word for it. Charity? Thankless job? Social service? Whatever it was to be called, it was obvious that Naru-chan was passionate about it. At least when it occurred in her immediate vicinity.

Why would such a person be so defensive about making new friends? Or at least acquaintances? It didn't make sense to Motoko. She sighed and decided to let the matter rest. There was still plenty of time left and she hoped she would learn more about Naru-chan as the days went by.

For now, there were more immediate priorities. Like what would be for dinner? Motoko felt her mouth water in anticipation. Damn that male for making her feel like this! She was beginning to have second thoughts about forcing him to let her use the kitchen.

…

She quickly blinked and shook her head. 'No!' she said to herself. It would not be fair to let him handle all the household chores. They were supposed to be in a partnership! Not some weird master-slave relationship! The kendoist took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She needed a distraction. Motoko looked around the train compartment wondering what all the other passengers were doing.

Most of them were standing by idly. There was an office worker who had a cigarette in his mouth. She was about to call him out for violating the 'no smoking' sign, but then realized that his cigarette wasn't lit. 'Weird.' she thought to herself. 'Some people have odd hobbies.' she concluded.

A little way off there was an old grandmother sitting. She appeared to be reading a newspaper. To the side was a clerk who was holding a manga in her hands. All-in-all a typical crowded train compartment.

Then Motoko saw something that caused a frown to grow on her face. In the opposite corner of the compartment a young schoolgirl was standing. That was not the problem. The issue was the office-worker in a green suit who was standing behind her. And she did not seem comfortable with the situation.

Motoko was too far away from them to be sure what was going on. She slowly stepped up next to them. It was a bit tricky to move in the crowd, but she somehow managed. Then she saw something that really made her angry.

The creep was groping her bottom! And the poor schoolgirl was just standing there and whimpering. She held onto the pole next to her with both hands and was doing her best not to make a sound. Her face or more importantly, her body posture told Motoko exactly how she was feeling.

Motoko closed her eyes and tried to think. She couldn't attack the creep from where she was. It would cause too much disturbance for the other passengers. She could just try to sneak up behind him, but all that would do is scare him for a day. Considering that his target was desperately trying to appear calm, it was obvious that he targeted her specifically. What else was there for her to do?

She smiled as an idea formed in her head. She would have to thank Keitaro for teaching her how to use it. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled the weapon out. It took her a bit of time fiddling with the controls, but she got it setup. Next was to target the criminal.

Over the next 2 minutes Motoko made a video recording of the creep molesting the young girl (she was careful to keep the girl's face out of the camera). The compartment doors opened and the creep and schoolgirl walked out. She grinned evilly as she stopped the recording and followed them. She looked up at the sign to see what station she was on. 'How convenient, it's my stop.' she thought to herself.

Before either the schoolgirl or the creep could move away from her she grabbed them both by their shoulder and dragged them into the station master's cabin nearby. The girl was surprised by the hand on her shoulder but she obliged quietly. The creep on the other hand tried to run away, but found it very difficult to escape from the iron grip of the Shinmei-ryu master.

It was a short affair after that. The station master alerted the Police and armed with Motoko's video evidence was able to arrest the criminal. One of the officers who came by commented to Motoko that it wasn't his first offense. Turned out that he was actually a criminal on parole. This incident however, would ensure that he wouldn't get out again for a long time to come.

Motoko left the metro station along with the school girl. She looked at the young female walking next to her. From her light blue uniform and matching skirt, she appeared to come from the same school as the other one she met earlier. The girl walking beside her also had a yellow ribbon tied around her neck as part of the uniform. Motoko noted that she cut her chestnut colored hair short and came up midway Motoko's own neck in height.

The girl suddenly gripped the side of Motoko's blouse. She stopped walking and turned to face the youngster.

"Th-Thank you for helping me..." she slowly said.

Motoko just looked back at her with an unhappy expression and said, "You are welcome. But my help should not have been needed. You should have at least tried screaming out loud when that creep grabbed you."

"B-but I was s-scared..." she replied in a soft voice.

Motoko sighed. Her face softened and she looked back at the girl and said, "It's alright. We all get scared and panic sometimes … or even freeze up. Think of this as a learning experience and do not let it happen to you again, ok?" She brought her hand up and ruffled the young girl's hair a bit.

The smaller one looked back at her with admiration in her eyes and said, "But you were so cool and smart sempai! I don't think I would ever have been able to do what you just did!"

"No, with hard work you'll catch up with me easily enough." the kendoist replied.

The young girl hesitated a bit and said, "Er... my name is Sachiyo Matsumoto. What can I call you sempai?"

Motoko then blinked and brought her free hand to her forehead. She exclaimed, "Whoops! Where are my manners? My name is Motoko Aoyama."

They came to a turn. Sachiyo pointed in one direction and said, "I need to head this way."

Motoko pointed in the other direction and said, "And my house is that way. Looks like we part here, Sachiyo-chan."

Sachiyou took two steps ahead turned and bowed towards Motoko as she said, "Thank you very much for your help Motoko-sempai!" She turned back and went on her way.

Motoko smiled back and proceeded towards the Inn.

* * *

As Motoko came closer to the Inn entrance she noticed that the post was arriving. The postman had just stopped in front of the gate and was dropping a few letters into their mailbox. He drove away as she walked up to the gate. She was about to open and enter when she saw Shinobu walk up from the opposite direction.

"This is a surprise! I would have expected you to have finished with your club activities a long time ago, Shinobu-chan." Motoko exclaimed as the younger girl came and stood next to her.

"Good to see you Motoko-sempai!" Shinobu replied and then paused. She hesitated a bit before she continued, "The gardening club had a bit of an accident and they needed help from all the other clubs to help fix things up."

With a curious expression Motoko opened the gate and let the younger resident inside. As she followed behind, she asked, "What happened?"

"They were trying some new machine to water the plants. Somehow fertilizer got mixed up with the water and the machine went haywire. The next thing everyone knew, the entire school ground was covered with fertilizer." the younger girl replied.

"Sounds like you had a difficult task of cleaning it all up." commented Motoko as she opened their letterbox and took the mail out. Upon glancing at them, she decided that it would be best to look them over at the Inn. She turned and slowly began walking up the steps to the Inn.

The two of them exchanged small talk as they climbed the steps together. About halfway up they both noticed Keitaro coming down the stairs.

* * *

_**Earlier, Hinata Inn entrance**_

Kuro-chan was relaxing on the porch in front of the Inn. Kanako had changed into a black tube top and a short pair of jeans. One of Keitaro's eyes was twitching when he first saw the outfit. The tube top was fine, but he was unhappy with the jeans. There were a bit too short for his comfort. In fact, they reminded him of her panties. Considering that he did wash their laundry regularly enough, he felt that if anyone could accurately compare her so-called jeans to a pair of panties, he could. And he did. He was very unhappy about that.

Still, she was _technically_ not indecent, so he was forced to let it slide. He began to wonder where he went wrong in raising the girl. 'No use regretting now. Oh well … .' he thought to himself as he let out a sigh.

She had combed her hair back in a hime-style cut. She wore a white headband over her black hair. He thought it looked nice. She was also wearing a pair of black sneakers and white socks that went over her knees.

The two of them were outside in the front yard sweeping the place. They had lunch some time ago and Kanako commented that she enjoyed the vegetable fried rice. She was unhappy that he didn't introduce her to the kitchen just yet, but was forced to be patient.

"Onii-san, I've been wondering.." she slowly asked.

"Yes, Kanako-chan?" he prodded her.

"When exactly will I meet your fiancée? She's not shy or anything is she? I mean, I haven't seen anyone else here at the Inn other than you since I woke and I'm sure you told me that she was staying here." she asked.

Keitaro stopped sweeping for a moment and pondered. He resumed his task with the broom while he answered her, "She's gone to her preparatory school now. I guess she'll return when she's done with it."

Kanako puffed her cheeks in disappointment. "Did you do this on purpose? I was hoping to meet her as soon as I arrived!" she complained.

"Now, now, Kanako. Don't be like that." he tried placating her. "It's not like any of us expected you to get abducted the day you arrived. If it weren't for that, I'm sure you would have met Motoko yesterday itself."

That made his sister pause in her task as she recalled something. She then said, "Onii-san, I just remembered something important."

He quirked one of his eyebrows up and asked, "Oh? What could it be?"

"It's about those guys who abducted me. Do the Police have records of everyone who they caught or found at that dungeon I was in?" she asked.

Keitaro blinked. That was an unusual thing for her to ask. "As a matter of fact they do. They took statements from all who were present at the scene and even recorded how to contact any innocent bystanders nearby. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know if they met a young lady wielding a bokken there?" Kanako clarified.

Keitaro smiled and with his back turned towards her he replied, "Yes, I met her afterwards in fact. What do you need her for?"

Kanako grimaced and replied in a level tone, "Well, she saved my life in there. I'm grateful for what she did, but it's a debt I do not want to keep around for long. Is there any chance I could meet her?"

Still keeping his back towards her, he replied, "Oh that shouldn't be difficult. In fact, you can expect her to come by the Inn soon enough."

Kanako smiled back at her brother and said, "That's wonderful Onii-san! You seem to think of everything even before I ask for it. It is absolutely vital that I figure out a way to repay my debt to that bokken girl."

She then puffed out her chest and closed her eyes as she proudly stated, "As an aristocrat, it would behoove me to return to London without at least meeting her again."

She opened her eyes and looked back at her brother. He had turned around and was slowly coming near her sweeping the ground as he walked. She asked him, "It would be rude to offer money. She seemed to be the type to selflessly endanger herself to protect others. Do you think she'll accept sexual favors from me? Or maybe a cup of my blood?"

Keitaro stopped sweeping and coughed a bit. "Imouto! Please wait till you meet her before jumping to conclusions. I've lost count of how often I need to remind you of this. Furthermore, I highly doubt that she's some kind of succubus or vampire to want any of those things you just mentioned."

"Perhaps part of my hentai collection, then?" she suggested instead.

He just gave out a long sigh in response. After a pause, he added, "Why don't you just wait and ask her yourself? It's not like I can read her mind and tell you, now can I?"

This time it was Kanako who sighed. "Yes, Onii-san. I'll try to wait. But it's just so frustrating!" she complained.

Just then they both heard a bell ring from somewhere.

"What was that?" asked Kanako in surprise. "It didn't sound like the doorbell. And besides, we're both out here."

Keitaro just walked to the side of the Inn and placed his broom leaning against the wall. He answered her, "That was just one of the new wards I put up. That particular sound means that we have new post. Can you continue to sweep the rest of this area while I go down and collect our mail?"

"Sure Onii-san." said Kanako as she nodded. Keitaro then walked towards the stairs and slowly started climbing down.

* * *

_**Hinata Inn entrance**_

Kanako had just finished sweeping and moved to put the brooms away. She then came up to her cat-familiar, Kuro-chan who was relaxing on the steps leading to the main door.

"Onii-san did a nice job of fixing up the Inn didn't he?" she said to her familiar. "But there's still so much more left to do. I had no idea the Inn was in such bad shape to begin with …" as she trailed off she mentally counted the repairs that would be needed. Most urgent were the bathrooms. Or perhaps she could rate that as least urgent? It seemed that her brother would be forced to share for as long as only one set was working. Inwardly Kanako smirked to herself.

The second floor was practically filthy due to neglect. Some effort _had_ gone to try and keep it neat, but without anyone actively living there, it was only being cleaned once a week at best. Then there were the individual guest rooms themselves. It appeared that Keitaro just fixed them up as new people arrived. That would not be too much of an issue, but unless they fixed all of them soon, there was a high probability that the furniture in them would rot to nothing.

Kanako looked up from her musings to see her brother come up the stairs that led to the gate accompanied by two girls. He was positioned on the right side and the taking up the center was the girl she recognized as her rescuer - the bokken girl. On the left side of the group was the smallest member - a small young girl with dark blue hair and wearing a light red headband.

Not forgetting her manners, Kanako stepped up in front of them and with the Inn behind her, in a proud pose bowed to everyone saying, "Welcome to the Hinata Sou! We hope you enjoy your stay here." As she rose from her bow, she found her brother had raised his fist to cover his mouth and was chuckling lightly.

"Ah, I had nearly forgotten that greeting Grandma made us use whenever a new guest would arrive. We should renew the tradition if we ever get around to formally opening the Inn." he said smiling at his sister.

Keitaro then loudly cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and waved a hand at his sister's direction. With a light bow towards the two girls he was with, he dramatically said, "Everyone, meet my wonderful sister Kanako Urashima!" With a pause he rose from the bow and continued, "She's on break for a small while and will be with us during that time. I hope you will be able to get along."

Standing up straight he looked towards his sister and began introducing his companions. He waved at them with one hand and said, "Kanako, I would like you to meet your rescuer and my fiancée -" was as far as he got before his sister interrupted him.

"OBJECTION!" shouted Kanako pointing her hand at Shinobu with such a dramatic display of showmanship that it would have made lawyers in courtrooms across the country burn red with envy. She continued with a frown by saying, "I do not care that Grandma insisted or even if you find her attractive. She is simply too young to be your bride!"

She then puffed out her chest and folded her hands below it. She raised her chin in a very superior pose and resumed, "Perhaps in another 3 years she might be old enough, but not now and most certainly not today. As your sister, I refuse to permit this circus humiliate our family any longer!"

Shinobu had her eyes widened in shock. She had balled both her hands into fists and was holding them under her nose. Motoko just looked on with disbelief. Her jaw was open and she was having trouble closing her gaping mouth. Keitaro just stood frozen in surprise. One of his eyes was twitching.

Silence reigned in the courtyard for a few moments while the wind blew a few leaves around them. Kuro-chan meowed in the background.

That was not the reaction she was expecting. Kanako slowly lowered her hand and asked with a bit of confusion in her voice, "What?" as she blinked at the lot of them.

Keitaro took a deep breath to compose himself. As he let the air out he stepped up next to his sister and raised his right hand high above himself. He brought it down and delivered an open-palm strike on top his sister's head.

She bent her knees and raised both her hands to rub the spot he hit. "Owww!" she whined with moisture in her eyes. Looking upset at her brother she asked, "What was that for?!"

Standing straight and closing his eyes he took another deep breath and raised his right fist in front of his chest. Despite the clothes he was wearing, Motoko thought he looked like a fancy butler.

Opening his eyes and looking towards his sister with a disappointed frown he said, "I keep telling you NOT to jump to conclusions. Now stand there and _wait_ till I finish the introductions!"

Turning towards the other two girls present he continued, "The taller one here is Motoko Aoyama. She is _both_ my fiancée and your rescuer. The little one you accused of making a circus of our family is Shinobu Maehara. Her mother is a good friend of Grandma. Motoko and I have agreed to take care of her while she is away on personal matters. You can think of her as our first tenant if you wish."

Shinobu had recovered herself and bent in a small bow towards Kanako. She said with a small blush, "Er .. I'm sorry for confusing you. Keitaro-sempai and I are not engaged."

As she raised herself she heard Keitaro let out a sigh. "Please do not apologise for something you most certainly had no involvement in Shinobu-chan. If anything, it is a certain _somebody else _ who owes you the apology." he said giving his sister a small glare from one of his eyes.

Kanako with a small grimace on her face, raised her hand to scratch the back of her head. The action reminded Motoko of how Keitaro would behave sometimes. With a small bow Kanako apologised by saying, "I'm sorry Maehara-san. I jumped to conclusions a little too quickly."

Shinobu replied shyly, "It's alright Urashima-san. And please call me Shinobu. It's a lot more comfortable for me."

Kanako gave a small smile towards the younger girl and replied, "Thank you Shinobu-chan. And you can call me Kanako."

Shinobu beamed with she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Yes, Kanako-san!" she said happily. It looked like she made another friend.

"While I'm glad to see that you two are getting along, you are not quite finished apologizing imouto." said Keitaro as he interrupted the two of them. Kanako looked up towards him to see him glancing towards her rescuer.

With a smile, Motoko just stepped up next to Kanako and with her left hand enveloped her in a hug. She brought her right hand up and began to stroke the younger girl's hair. While she stroked she said in a sweet voice, "That's quite alright. It was an honest mistake, wasn't it?"

Kanako looked up from the older girl's chest. A blush began to grow on her face as she shyly replied, "Y-Y-Yes. I'm sorry."

Motoko then turned towards her fiancé and said, "There. I think that the matter is all settled up now, don't you agree?"

"I suppose so..." he nodded his head as he trailed off.

Kanako had turned her face to see her brother give his reply. She blinked as she watched him from her position. She suddenly got a strong empathic insight that he was very attracted to the older girl who was hugging her. Motoko's chest felt soft. Kanako blushed a bit more on realizing that. She disentangled herself and took one step back.

Kanako looked up towards Motoko and said, "So you are the one who is to marry my Onii-san?" The way she said it, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Motoko just nodded back and replied, "That's how it is."

Kanako just looked back at Motoko. The kendoist felt like she was evaluated. Kanako suddenly nodded her head and stepped up towards the older girl and enveloped her in a tight hug saying, "I accept, Onee-san!"

As Kanako disentangled herself and stepped back from the hug, Motoko blinked her eyes in confusion and asked, "Onee-san?"

Kanako nodded and replied with a smile, "Of course! You will become my sister-in-law, correct? So I think I'll call you Onee-san from now on."

Motoko widened her eyes a bit in understanding. The she lowered them to look back at Kanako. With a content smile on her face she patted the younger girl's head and said, "In that case, I'll call you imouto. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great to me, Onee-san!" replied Kanako with a happy tone. She then blinked and brought up a finger to under her chin and appeared as if she was remembering something.

"I almost forgot!" she said and then turned towards the Inn. She commanded, "Kuro-chan, come here!"

Everyone looked as the black cat slowly got up from in front of the door. It then jumped into the air and started floating about a meter in the air by waving it's large ears to the side. The feline soon hovered towards her master.

Kanako then turned towards her new acquaintances and said, "Let me introduce you to my familiar, Kuro-chan!" The cat gave them a small bow of respect.

Motoko smiled towards the familiar and returned the bow. Shinobu looked amazed and surprised at the same time. She said, "Wow! She can fly! Kawaii too !" with a few hearts floating around her head. A sparkle came over Kanako's eyes as she noticed the admiration the youngest female was displaying towards her familiar. She then grabbed Shinobu's hand and began to drag her into the Inn. "You must be tired. Let's all go inside and relax!" she said as Shinobu tried to protest saying, "W-wait...!" with Kuro following behind them.

Keitaro watched the three of them enter the Inn with a warm smile. He looked up towards his fiancée and asked, "That went a lot smoother than I expected. Shall we follow them?"

Motoko returned the smile and nodded back at him while saying, "Lead the way."

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Everyone was enjoying dinner when Keitaro spoke up.

"I have some good news to share. My paperwork has finally gone through and I can formally join college here!" he said with a smile on his face.

"That's wonderful news Onii-chan!" "Congratulations Keitaro-sempai!" "Well done Keitaro!" were the replies he got in return. He smiled back at everyone.

A question mark hovered above Shinobu's head. She looked back at her sempai and asked in a puzzled tone, "Er … Keitaro-sempai? Which local college did you join? I don't think you've ever told me."

Motoko blinked and realized the same thing too. "That's right. You haven't told me either. All I know is that you are doing a dual-degree program." she said.

"Oh? Guess it slipped my mind then. Well -" was as far as he got before his sister interrupted.

Kanako sat up straight and looked at everyone with a proud posture. She said in a voice slightly louder than necessary, "My genius brother is now a part of Tokyo University! The most prestigious educational institution in our entire country!" She folded her arms under her chest and huffed with pride.

Shinobu just looked at her sempai with a bit more respect and said, "Wow! That's so cool!"

Motoko had dropped her chopsticks and was looking at her fiancé in shock. She blinked her eyes and gave her head a small shake. She slowly asked, "And _why_ didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Keitaro looked back at his fiancée with a bit of worry. He wasn't exactly sure if he was going to enjoy that tone of her voice. "It … I forgot?" he weakly answered.

"Even after I told you about my personal goals?" she accused him with narrowed eyes.

He had a hard time looking at his fiancée. Instead he opted to look back down on his plate and weakly replied, "I'm … sorry?"

Motoko just took a deep breath and relaxed back into her chair. She gave him a level stare and in a normal voice told him, "We need to _talk_. After dinner tonight."

He just nodded in reply and answered, "Yes."

Kanako just looked at the exchange with confusion. She asked, "Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Motoko just looked back at her and answered with a smile, "More of a private matter between Keitaro and me. Don't worry though, you'll find out soon enough Kanako-chan."

It was enough to satisfy her and she resumed eating. After a small while Shinobu asked a question,

"Can a demon possess a doll?"

Keitaro adjusted his glasses before answering, "Demons can possess just about anything. Most would prefer a living being, but if the object in question has a lot of sentimental value associated with it, a demon might be tempted to possess it. Why do you ask?"

Shinobu finished swallowing her food before replying, "There is a rumor running around the school that one of our old storehouses, where we keep broken equipment is haunted."

Motoko smiled as she fondly remembered, "Ah yes, those rumors. I think there's one in every school. At my old place, people used to say that the second floor staff room was haunted. It later turned out to be one of our teachers who kept losing track of time and stayed there working late into the night."

Kanako added, "Yeah, we had that too. In my school people said that the third floor boys bathroom was cursed. Every morning the janitor would find water leaking from it. It turned out to be someone playing a prank."

Keitaro nodded and said, "True. Just about every place I've studied in has one such rumor or the other." He then turned towards Shinobu and enquired, "But what does this have to do with dolls?"

She replied, "Earlier today, the gardening club was looking for some tools when some of the members stumbled into the old storehouse. They claimed that they saw an old wooden doll wearing a kimono walking around the dark room before running away in fear."

That got Keitaro's interest. "An old wooden doll wearing a kimono, you say? Hmmm..." he trailed off rubbing his right hand under his chin and paused eating his dinner.

Kanako picked up what he wanted and asked their youngest companion, "For how long have these rumors been going on? Did they only start this week?"

Shinobu gave the question some thought before answering, "No, I think it's been a few years now. Come to think of it, the custodian told me that all the weird stuff started happening after an old student donated a lot of her old equipment to the school many years ago. The storehouse in question is mostly used as a dumping room for old or broken equipment, so no-one really spends any time in there. They just throw stuff in and close the door."

Motoko decided to voice her thoughts, "It can't be a demon, whatever it is. Even a powerful one, would eventually start corrupting the space around it, if it sat idle for too long. I find it highly unlikely that such a vile creature would be able to hide it's presence for so long without someone complaining about something or the other. Chances are it's probably something else. Perhaps a wayward spirit or something?"

With a doubtful voice Kanako asked, "Could it be an old cursed doll, Onii-san? Perhaps after all this time, you've finally found one!"

Raising one of her eyebrows, Motoko looked at her fiancé and asked skeptically, "You've been looking for a _cursed_ doll?"

Keitaro rested his hand on the table and leaned forward so that he could scratch his head with the same hand. He replied, "That's a misleading term actually. They are more like … dolls which have a fragment of a soul in them or something?" He gave out a sigh, unable to properly express himself.

Kanako tried instead, "Before we get to that, Onee-san, are you familiar that Onii-san is a figurine otaku?"

Motoko nodded and answered, "Yes, he's mentioned it before. I've been looking forward to see his collection as a matter of fact."

Kanako smiled on hearing that. She continued, "Good. That will make this easier. You've seen normal figurines and dolls, right? They are just inanimate objects. As much as some people would like to see them walk and talk, they are at their core just toys."

Motoko blinked and tried to guess, "Do you mean to suggest that … this cursed doll is more than just a toy?"

Kanako nodded and continued, "Something like that. Only, we're not sure ourselves. You see many years ago, Onii-san came across this really old scroll that spoke about dolls that could walk and talk, just like real people."

Motoko narrowed her eyes skeptically and in a deadpan voice said, "That sounds really fake or just some sort of practical joke."

Kanako shook her head in denial. She continued, "On no, not at all. We verified the authenticity of the scroll. It actually dates back to more than 200 years ago!"

Regaining her interest, Motoko prodded the girl to continue, "Go on.."

She replied, "Onii-san spent a lot of time investigating the existence of such dolls. It turns out that many years ago, before the advent of electricity, such dolls really did exist. They served as companions to rich and powerful women back then."

Motoko blinked as she realized something. She suggested, "This is beginning to sound like what Keitaro has done to the kitchen here."

Kanako nodded her head as she replied, "Yes, it's similar to that."

Shinobu was confused at this point. She asked, "Er... what has sempai done to the kitchen? Is it the reason why no-one else can cook in here?"

Keitaro shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts and rejoin the conversation. He answered her, "A bit of magic is involved, but if someone has a lot of feeling for an inanimate object, it _is_ possible for the object to gain a form of sentience. A mind of it's own, powered by the affections of the owner. I'm proud to say that I love my kitchen dearly and that all the appliances in here are loyal to me."

Shinobu blinked on hearing that began to look around the kitchen with a bit of trepidation. She asked in a hesitant voice, "Are you saying that you've made the kitchen haunted?"

That caused Keitaro to blink. He thought about it for a moment and frowned a bit before answering, "That … is indeed one way of looking at it, but to call Fridge-kun or any of the other appliances haunted is just rude. It means to imply that they might kill you, or at the very least hurt you. The truth is far from that."

Shinobu relaxed and asked, "What do you mean sempai?"

Keitaro looked at the fridge fondly before replying, "Well … it's more like they would respond only to me or anyone else I approve of. If you try to forcefully use any of the appliances in here, they wouldn't work properly. For example, Toaster-chan on the counter there would never toast any bread you put in, no matter if she was plugged in or what setting you left her on."

An idea popped into Shinobu's head and she asked, "So, can we talk with them Keitaro-sempai?"

Keitaro just looked at Motoko and lightly blushed. Without turning to face Shinobu he just replied, "I don't think just anyone, even if I approve can talk with them. But at the very least, once we've got the introductions done with, you should be able to tell how they are all feeling. It will give you an idea of how to use them too."

Shinobu nodded her head on hearing that. She then remembered what they were talking about earlier and asked, "So how does this relate to the dolls we were talking about earlier?"

It was Kanako who answered her, "Simply put, instead of a kitchen it is _technically_ possible to animate a doll in the same manner. Though, I'm not sure I know anyone who's tried it. Most magi I know prefer to reserve such affection for their familiars. Like my Kuro-chan!"

Shinobu turned to the corner of the kitchen and saw the cat eating some food left in a bowl for it. It meowed when she looked at him. She smiled back and turned to face Kanako again.

Motoko continued, "I'm sensing a 'but ...' here."

Keitaro nodded back at her and explained, "You are correct. As loyal as my kitchen is, it will only remain as such while I'm alive. Upon my death, the magic around the appliances will dissipate and they will return to being just regular devices. Though, considering that most familiars lose the will to live after their masters have departed, I guess it's possible that my appliances would just break down a lot faster instead."

Shinobu looked at the fridge with a sad expression and softly said, "That just seems so sad.."

Keitaro shook his head and replied in a cheerful tone, "You are looking at this from the wrong perspective. It's simply how the cycle of life works. I am confident that the essences of my appliances here would much rather come with me when I depart as opposed to staying on without me around."

Shinobu cheered up a bit on hearing that and said, "So they would be happier that way?"

Keitaro smiled and replied with nod saying, "Yes, that's one way to look at it."

Motoko pointed out the flaw in his explanation, "But according to what you are saying Keitaro, these 'cursed dolls' should no longer be animate. They should have departed, along with their masters a long time ago!"

Keitaro nodded and looked back at her. He answered in an excited tone, "And that's exactly why I am searching for one! To what I gather, the technique used to create them has been lost for centuries and I'm fascinated to figure out how they've been alive for so long!"

Motoko nodded in understanding and asked, "And you think the wooden doll at Shinobu's school is one such doll?"

Kanako nodded and answered instead, "Yes, it's highly possible. The fact that it's wooden and wearing a kimono suggest it to be a very old one. I think the timeline fits. Though, I'm just guessing on that."

Motoko just gave out a sigh and looked at her fiancé. "Can I assume that it was your search for this cursed doll that made you into a figurine otaku?" she asked.

"That's an easy one, isn't it?" Kanako replied with a smile. She continued with an evil glint in her brother's direction, "Though, at first it was something more than just an unhealthy obsession. I can remember a time, years ago, when Onii-chan was willing to sacrifice his firstborn child just to get his hands on a cursed doll."

The air seemed to chill around Motoko as she narrowed her eyes and slowly turned to face her fiancé. In a low voice she asked, "Keeitaaaroooo, is there _something_ I should be informed about?"

Keitaro just looked back at his fiancée fearfully. His eyes were wide and he was sweating lightly. He placed his chopsticks on the table and raised his hands in surrender and tried to placate her by saying, "Now, now, Motoko. There's no need to be so concerned about. That was a long, looong time ago. My views on the matter have changed considerably since then! I can assure you that I have no intention or any obligation to sacrifice my firstborn child to get my hands on a cursed doll anymore. Or anything else for that matter."

The air around Motoko slowly returned to its usual state and she seemed to be normal again. Though she continued looking at him with narrow eyes. She then sat up straight and just told him in her most normal tone,

"We really need to _talk_. After dinner tonight." He obediently nodded his head.

A bit of small-talk later, the meal came to an end. The dishes were quickly washed. Keitaro asked Shinobu and Kanako to wait in the kitchen till he returned. He followed Motoko to her bedroom for the _talk_.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

About an hour later, Keitaro walked into the kitchen to find his sister chatting with Shinobu. Motoko followed in behind him. She didn't really need to attend this session, but she said that she didn't feel like studying tonight and so decided to sit in. It was better than watching TV.

Keitaro walked up to the center of the kitchen. Shinobu was looking at him with expectation in her eyes. Kanako was just getting impatient and shaking her foot while she was sitting.

He smiled at Shinobu and said, "I'm sorry, but this is going to be a pretty simple affair, Shinobu-chan. No fancy rituals or anything of the such."

Kanako raised one of her eyebrows and asked, "What about the initial activation circle?"

He just shrugged his shoulders back and replied, "I'm not sure if that's even worth calling a ritual. Anyway, let's get this started!" He then placed a piece of paper (on which he had inscribed his magic circle along with a few other designs) on the center of the kitchen table.

Shinobu was a bit surprised at how suddenly he was going about the task. She asked in a worried voice, "D-Don't we need to get ready or something?"

Kanako just smiled back at her and answered, "I've seen him do this before. Just sit where you are and relax."

Shinobu watched as her sempai put both his hands on the table and whisper a few incantations. The ink on the paper slowly began to glow white. He was speaking softly and she couldn't hear the words, but she was sure it was a spell of some sorts.

Suddenly the glow from the paper intensified and the entire kitchen was enveloped with it. It faded just as quickly and Shinobu had to blink her eyes a few times to be able to see again.

She looked around the kitchen and shook her head. All the appliances were glowing a faint white color! She stared for a moment at the fridge. She couldn't tell what it was, but she _felt_ something. Likewise with the stove. Soon enough, the glow faded and everything returned to normal. When she looked back at the center of the table, she was surprised to note that the paper had disintegrated into ash.

Keitaro coughed loudly to get her attention. When she looked back at him, she saw that he was looking at the different appliances in the kitchen. He took a deep breath and said in a loud voice, "Well, I hope everyone's feeling well today?" Shinobu thought he looked silly talking to his kitchen like that.

He pointed towards Kanako and spoke in a more normal tone, "This is my sister Kanako. I think Fridge-kun and Stove-chan would remember her from the time we spent together in London?"

Kanako just nodded towards the fridge and stove. She said, "Yeah, it was a very small kitchen back then, wasn't it? For that matter, you haven't really added that many new appliances to the family, it would seem."

Keitaro just smiled back at her and replied, "Well, as the need arises I'll expand the family. No point in leaving anyone unused, now is there?" Turning back to the kitchen he said, "The one sitting next to her is called Shinobu Maehara. We're good friends with her family and she'll be staying here for some time." He kept looking at the different appliances as he spoke.

"And I'm sure you all know my fiancée Motoko sitting on the edge over there." he said gesturing to said fiancée who was looking at the scene with amusement in her eyes.

He then turned towards the two youngsters sitting at the table and moved towards the fridge. Standing next to it he said, "This here, is Fridge-kun. He keeps things cool. He really hates it if you spill any kind of liquid inside him. Also, do not stuff him. He finds it too uncomfortable. It is very appreciated if you try to carefully organize the food when you use him."

Keitaro then nodded at the fridge. He suddenly paused and looked at it with a puzzled expression. Turning towards Shinobu he asked her, "Shinobu-chan can you show me how you open the fridge?"

Feeling really odd, she came up, put her hands on the fridge door and pulled it open. She felt the coolness of the fridge wash over her. But there was something else. She could not explain it, but it _felt _like the fridge was … chastising her? It felt like it was disappointed with the way she opened the fridge door. She closed the fridge door and looked back at Keitaro. He turned towards the fridge and nodded towards it.

He looked in her direction and said, "Fridge-kun says that you expend too much energy to open him. He suggests that you grab a spot a bit higher. Why don't you try again?"

In any other place, Shinobu would have worried for his sanity. But right then, standing next to the fridge, she _felt_ the fridge encouraging her. Feeling really puzzled about the source of her new-found confidence, she reached a bit higher on the fridge door and pulled it open.

She was surprised at how easily it opened. It must have shown on her face because when she looked to the side, Kanako was smiling at her and Motoko was nodding as well.

"Yes, that's it. Isn't that easier Shinobu-chan?" asked Keitaro.

Shinobu closed the fridge door and replied, "It IS easier … and that was a surprising experience to say the least, Keitaro-sempai. I've even been introduced to a fridge before!" with her eyes wide in astonishment.

Keitaro just chuckled at her and said, "Well, don't faint on us or anything. We still have a few more to go tonight..."

The rest of the _introductions_ went on in a similar manner. By the time it was all over, it was well past bedtime. Motoko led the two of them to their bedrooms and retired to her own bed herself.

Keitaro just stayed in the kitchen by himself for a small while longer. Just before he left he turned and addressed the stove, "That was sweet of you to remind Kanako about your electric settings, Stove-chan. And yes, I'll change the broken bulb in your gas oven later this week. Good night everyone!" He then retired to his own bedroom for some much needed sleep.

* * *

_Coming Up Next 'Start of a Promise'  
_

**If you have read this far, please leave a review!**


	10. Start of a Promise

**DISCLAIMER:** Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu. Other characters belong to their respective owners. This story however, belongs to me. Feel free to repost it anywhere, as long as you give due credit.

_Author's Notes  
_This was something unique to write. With the earlier chapters, I would start with a plot in my mind. This time I wrote down different events in a document and expanded on that. In addition, based on feedback on another story I tried a different approach in the writing style. It lasted for about two-thirds of the chapter.

The result is that this chapter is both planned in plot and disjoint in execution. I actually had a good mind to redo the entire thing, but my betas tell me that it isn't _that_ horrible. Their support and my laziness is why I decided to publish the chapter as it is. Hopefully you readers will like it.

You can thank **rukia8492 **and **EagleCeres **(both from TFF) for convincing me that this isn't horrible. Further appreciation should be extended to **bespa**, **EagleCeres **and **Without Remorse** (all TFF) for fixing minor spelling, grammar and other miscellaneous things that crept in.

Nearly forgot, there is an association between Kanako and cardboard boxes that gets mentioned here - credit goes to **Antimatter** (TFF) for the idea. Also, I need to thank **HotelKatz**(FFN) for reminding me about Moe in a review. Technically, she gets her first dialog in this chapter.

Hmm... I just realized - with this chapter the story will cross the 100k word limit. Wow! Ironic that it happens with a chapter I'm uncomfortable with.

_-chronodekar  
_(31/October/2012)

_**Alternate Universe Story so far:  
**_Keitaro Urashima (20 years old), a mage-in-training has agreed to 'try out' an engagement with Motoko Aoyama (19 years old) a master of the Shinmei-ryu style of kenjutsu. They will formally decide within the next 4 months if they should continue onto a marriage or not. In the meantime, Keitaro is pursuing a dual-degree program at Tokyo University while Motoko is preparing for a second attempt at the Toudai entrance exam (she failed the first time).

The two of them have accepted guardianship over a young girl named Shinobu Maehara (12 years old) while her mother is out of station. The little one is living with them at the Inn and bakes cakes as a hobby at school.

Kanako Urashima (17 years old), Keitaro's sister has come to the Inn on a visit. She's followed everywhere by her cat-familiar Kuro-chan.

Last chapter, Motoko saved a couple of highschool girls from being molested by perverts and met a rude student named Naru Narusegawa (18 years old) from her preparatory school. Shinobu mentioned an issue involving a cursed doll at her school and was formally introduced to Keitaro's kitchen.

* * *

Ronin & Sophomore

=A _Love Hina_ fanfiction=  
(chapter - 10)

_Start of a Promise_

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

"Good morning Shinobu-chan!" greeted Keitaro as the girl walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Keitaro-sempai …" she trailed off stifling a small yawn.

"You woke up rather early today." he commented turning to a nearby cupboard. Opening the cupboard door, he took out a bowl from inside. "We still have plenty of time before breakfast." Placing the bowl on the counter, he poured some batter into it. Then holding it up in his left arm, started stirring the mixture with a spoon in his right hand.

Shinobu watched her sempai prepare breakfast with admiration. It was comforting to watch people work in the kitchen as they prepared the various dishes. When she stayed with her mother, Shinobu would stand next to her and listen as Mama explained how each dish was prepared. Her mother wasn't a very good teacher however and the result was that Shinobu didn't learn much from her - other than baking.

"Can you teach me your style of cooking, sempai?" answered the girl settling into a nearby chair. "The food you make is really delicious."

"But aren't you good at baking cakes?" he asked, puzzled at her request.

"Baking is just about the only thing I can do in the kitchen." admitted the girl with a small sigh. "When I try to make anything else, some problem or the other pops up." she frowned in conclusion.

Keitaro satisfied with his batter mix, placed the bowl on the table. He then picked up a teflon pan and turned on the stove. As the pan got warm enough, he poured some of the batter over it and spread it evenly with his wooden spoon.

"What kind of problems?" he asked, slowly raising his left eyebrow.

Next, he adjusted the flame to the lowest setting and moved towards the fridge. Opening fridge-kun with a gentle pull, he extracted a container from inside and closed the fridge door. Picking a clean cup from the drying area, he poured some milk into it and placed the drink on the table in front of his ward.

"All kinds of problems." complained the girl. "Even my miso soup turns out bad."

She picked up the cup with both her hands and raised it to her lips. She closed her eyes as she drank her milk. Meanwhile, Keitaro resumed his position near stove-chan and turned a knob to increase the heat.

"That is a bit too vague for me to help." he pointed out. "Perhaps you could describe what happened the last time you made miso soup?"

Shinobu placed the cup back on the table and was about to answer when she heard someone barge into the room. Turning her head towards the door she spotted her sempai's sister followed by her cat-familiar, Kuro-chan.

"Good morning everyone!" announced Kanako as she entered the kitchen with a smile and waved her hand towards the others present.

"Good Morning Kanako-chan/Kanako-san." came their responses.

"What's for breakfast Onii-san?" asked Kanako as she walked towards the fridge.

"I'm making pancakes today." he replied. "How many do you want?"

"About four or five, I guess." she answered as she took out a carton of chilled orange juice. Next, she took a glass from the counter and poured herself a drink. After gulping it down, she placed the used glass in the sink and looked around the kitchen searching for the last member of their household.

"Is Onee-san still sleeping?" she asked, not expecting it to be true.

"You mean Motoko? She's training at the clearing in the forest."

"Errr …" trailed Kanako as she returned a blank stare towards Keitaro. He started back at her for a few minutes before blinking twice as he realized his mistake.

"Oh right! We have more than one clearing around here, don't we?" he said. Trying to be a bit more clear he continued, "Do you remember the one deep in the forest, which has a small waterfall and stream? We used to swim there when we were younger. Motoko should be there right now."

Kanako started at the ceiling as she recollected the location of the clearing. After a few minutes, her eyes lit up in recognition and she turned to leave the kitchen.

"I'll go visit her then. Do you think she'll mind?" she asked taking a step towards the exit.

"As long as you don't disturb her, it should be fine I guess." answered her brother as he poured some batter over the pan preparing the next pancake.

"I won't!" shouted Kanako as she left the room.

Shinobu silently sipped her milk as she watched her sempai make the next pancake. She lifted the cup vertically in the air over her head as she finished it's contents. Getting up, she walked towards the sink and placed the cup inside. It would get washed later on.

"Motoko-sempai doesn't practise behind the Inn?" she asked, confused about her other sempai's exercise spot. She watched as Keitaro-sempai moved a finished pancake off the teflon pan and prepare the next one. As he spread the batter with his wooden spoon he replied,

"She needed a location away from the building. Motoko might need to practise advanced sword moves and it would be troublesome to damage the Inn by accident. The clearing where she is now, is far enough from the building that it's no longer an issue. In addition to being an ideal training spot, there is also a small pond and stream located in that area. Not to mention a little waterfall as well. It's a nice spot for relaxation."

"Is it really that nice a place, sempai?" asked Shinobu dreaming of the location in her mind.

"It sure is!" he replied as he finished making the pancakes, turning off the flame on top of the stove.

"Can I go see it too?"

"Hmmm..." trailed off Keitaro as he began stroking his chin with his right hand. "It's right in the middle of the forest and not easy to get to. You are more likely to get hurt if you go there by yourself."

"Oh …" mumbled Shinobu with disappointment in her voice.

"On the other hand, I could accompany you there." suggested Keitaro when he saw her sad face. "Tell you what - why don't I take you there this Sunday? We could have our own little picnic as well!"

"Will you really take me there, Keitaro-sempai?" asked Shinobu with stars in her eyes as she looked at him with both her fists below her chin.

"I will." he answered. Keitaro couldn't help but smile as the younger girl squealed in response. "Now, how would you like to try your hand at cooking a pancake or two?"

* * *

_**Exercise clearing, Forest near Hinata Inn**_

Kanako wore an expression of disbelief as she entered the clearing. The small waterfall was just as she remembered it, so was the little pond and the stream flowing out of it. What was unexpected was the state of the trees in the area. Most of them had cut marks on their trunks and branches. The grass on the left side of the pond was mostly eroded. She sighed in relief as the grass on the right side had been spared and was still green.

At the very center of the open space on the left side, with no grass growing around her, stood her future sister-in-law. Kanako waved her right hand above her head as she approached and saw Motoko nod back before resuming her exercises. There were a few big rocks near the pond and Kanako sat on one of the smaller ones. She watched as Motoko swung her bokken up and down.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

She got bored of watching the kendoist exercise after a few minutes. Kanako yawned and looked up at the sky. A few clouds floated around, but it didn't look as if it would rain. Kuro-chan, who had accompanied her to the clearing, meowed sitting next to her.

When Kanako bent her head down to look back at Motoko, she noticed that the kendoist had changed her exercise pattern. Now she was sheathing her bokken on her waist and practising the action of pulling it out.

Kanako let out a long sigh. She had not expected much when she left the Inn, but she hoped that Motoko might have been in a mood for idle conversation. Watching the kendoist practise so hard, Kanako felt that it would be rude to interrupt. So she decided to proceed with her backup plan instead.

Kanako had brought a towel with her when she came to the clearing. She put it down on one of the neater rocks nearby and took off her blouse, placing it next to the towel. Her shorts followed soon after. Standing fully nude, she began doing a simple warm up exercise next to the pond.

Finishing her current set, Motoko paused her exercise routine and looked at the younger girl with skepticism. About 30 seconds went by before her curiosity got the better of her.

"Kanako-chan, what are you doing?" she asked the other girl.

"Exactly what it looks like Onee-san." replied Kanako. "I'm doing a few warm up exercises."

Motoko lowered her eyelids in a flat stare and morphed her mouth into a straight line.

"I can see that. What I meant is - _why?_"

Finishing her warm up routine Kanako stood up and turned to face the older girl.

"I want to swim in the pond." she answered. "It's considered healthy to exercise a bit before jumping into the water."

"Aren't you …" Motoko trailed off as she struggled trying to address the issue as tactfully as she could.

" … _exposing_ yourself a bit too much?" she finally asked.

Kanako blinked once in puzzlement and raised one of her eyebrows. Kuro-chan meowed from the side swinging her tail.

"From what? It's not like a stranger can easily sneak into this compound and catch any of us unawares." She smiled in a cat-like manner and posed her body by placing one hand on her hips and the other behind her back.

" … Or perhaps you swing this way?" she asked suggestively. "If it's Onee-san, I don't -"

"No!" she answered, quickly turned her head to the side to avoid looking at Kanako. "And can you _please_ behave a bit more appropriately?"

Motoko heard a splash. She turned to see Kanako neck-deep in the pond, idly making ripples on the water surface with her hands. Kuro-chan was sitting by the side of the pond and watching her master. Letting out a sigh the kendoist walked towards the edge of the pond and sat on one of the nearby rocks.

"When you say that a stranger cannot easily sneak in here" she wondered "What exactly do you mean by it?"

Kanako swam away from her with a backstroke. Motoko saw that the girl's chest was above the water surface as she swam. The female swordmaster unconsciously smiled as she realized that her own assets were bigger. Kanako stopped when she reached the other end of the pond and stood up, with the water surface at her waist level. The clear water dripping off her wet hair flowed into the pond.

"We have wards around the property." she explained. "Surely you must have noticed the small vibrations that ripple across the aura of the Hinata Sou when someone enters or leaves the place? You've been living here long enough."

"That could very well explain what I've been feeling for some time now." answered Motoko raising her right hand to her lips. "The ripple was so faint that if it weren't for the fact that it appeared as a perfect circle, I would have dismissed it as ambient noise. I will need to run a few tests to confirm your explanation."

"Guess it's different for everyone. It's very unlikely that Shinobu would feel it, but you being a swordmaster should be able to sense it. Try reaching out a bit more when you know someone is leaving or entering." explained Kanako. "The feeling is a bit more pronounced if someone with harmful intent enters the place."

"I'll keep that in mind." said Motoko nodding her head. "But even ignoring outsiders, this isn't like some female-only dormitory you know. There is a male present as well."

"You mean Onii-san?" asked the girl in the water. "He's busy with Shinobu-chan in the kitchen. It's very unlikely that he would come over here right now."

"Nevertheless," started the kendoist, "there are matters of principle that should be followed." with a frown she continued, "I do not think it is appropriate for you to be walking or swimming around without covering yourself."

"Perhaps" suggested Kanako as she grew a smirk, "you are worried that I will steal Onii-san away from you?"

"I doubt if I need to worry about Keitaro falling for his own sister." replied Motoko with a small smile. "If that really was an option, Granny Hina would not have needed to arrange Omiai meetings for him."

"Actually …" trailed off Kanako with a small voice. She brought her hands in front of her chest, bent her head down down and began playing with her fingers, "I'm not his real sister."

"Pardon?" asked a confused Motoko with raised eyebrows.

"It was years ago." answered Kanako, still standing waist-deep in the water. "I was still an infant when Keitaro found me in a cardboard box and took me to his house. I've lived with him ever since."

"That …" trailed off Motoko as she tried to be polite, "is an intriguing story." She blinked once and asked politely, "If you don't mind, can you share the details with me?"

"It's best to tell it when Onii-san is around." replied Kanako shaking her head. "Ask again some other time."

She then swam towards Motoko, stopping a few meters away from the kendoist. Kanako took a deep breath as she composed herself.

"More importantly, I need to know." she began, still neck-deep in the water. "What are _your_ feelings for Onii-san? Do you like him? Or are you planning to leave afterwards?"

The kendoist blinked in surprise at the sudden question. She was about to dismiss it as playful teasing when she looked at Kanako's eyes. The younger girl was serious and seemed to be focusing her attention on her. Blood-relation issues aside, this was the sister of her fiancé and as such, was entitled to ask that question Motoko decided.

"I'm not really sure." she admitted. "We did agree to give each other a chance and so far, I find him promising. If things continue in this manner, I guess the day will come when I will eventually call him my husband." she concluded with a small blush over her cheeks.

"I'm glad to hear that." said Kanako nodding her head. "At first I was worried if Onii-san would find a real girl attractive, but I can tell that he has a soft spot for you."

She smiled at Motoko and began climbing out of the water.

"What are you talking about?" asked the kendoist watching the other girl pick up her towel from the rocks.

"I've tried seducing him myself" admitted the girl as she started to dry herself. "But he's never shown any reaction to my advances."

Motoko blinked back in shock at the honest confession.

"At first I was worried if it was because of my body, or if I was not feminine enough." continued the girl as she finished drying her legs and began to wipe the water off her arms. "So I tried going out with a few other guys."

Kanako then moved the towel over her head and began to dry her hair. Kuro-chan meowed from the side.

"I'm proud to say that I've been able to seduce any man I've had my eye on till now." she said with a smirk. "Some of the other girls in class used to call me a succubus."

She finished drying her hair and reached out for her blouse.

"And when I say seduce," she began as she put on the garment, "I mean that I've gone _all the way!_"

Motoko just stared at the younger girl speechless. Kanako wasn't finished talking.

"But no matter what I've tried, Onii-san has never seen me that way. I've been worried for some time if he was gay or not." she said as she bent down and pulled up her shorts. Buttoning them up she continued, "Hmm … I never thanked you for saving me, did I?"

Kanako stood up and looked at Motoko's eyes. She pointed her right hand at the kendoist and exclaimed,

"As repayment, I've decided to help you hook up with Onii-san!"

Unfortunately, Motoko's head was spinning in confusion and she was just swaying on the spot. The kendoist hadn't been paying attention after Kanako admitted to seducing her own brother. Or at least, attempting to.

Did it mean that Keitaro's sister was a pervert? She would have to punish her then! But it didn't seem like anyone was hurt or abused, so what did that mean? Was this proper decorum? Girls should not act like this! But there Kanako was right in front of her. She needed to be punished but …

Not realizing that she had short-circuited her future sister-in-law, Kanako grabbed her hand and led them both back to the Inn saying,

"Come on, it's almost time for breakfast. We better return soon or else Onii-san won't be too happy!"

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table eating breakfast. Kuro-chan was on the floor eating off her bowl.

"This is really good Keitaro-sempai!" praised Shinobu as she bit into her second pancake.

"I must say, it is quite excellent." agreed Motoko. "Did you try a new cooking technique or something?"

"Guess it must be the flour I used." replied the chef. "I tried out a different brand today."

"It makes a difference?" asked Shinobu looking towards Keitaro.

"It does." he said giving her a small nod. "After all, if you don't use the best ingredients you can find, how can you expect your cooking to be the best you can produce?"

"Hmm... I see." replied the blue haired girl.

"Onii-san, are you teaching Shinobu-chan how to cook?" asked Kanako while spreading some honey over her pancake.

"She already knows how. I'm just giving her some pointers."

"Then consider yourself lucky Shinobu-chan." said Kanako as she chewed her pancake. "Onii-san *munch* is a world-class chef!"

"Speaking of which, have you ever tried participating in a cooking contest, Keitaro?" suggested Motoko towards her fiancé.

"You mean you haven't told them yet?!" exclaimed Kanako raising her eyebrows and stared at her brother.

"It's not like I won anything, now is it?" replied Keitaro, subconsciously scratching his head.

"What is it Keitaro-sempai?" asked the youngest member at the table, looking at her senior with admiration. "What happened?"

Kanako turned towards her and explained with a proud voice,

"About 2 years ago, Onii-san almost made it to the quarterfinals of the 'Iron Chef' cooking contest!"

"Waaahhh!" exclaimed Shinobu. "That's the contest they hold every year to find new cooking talent. And you can only participate once in a lifetime!"

Motoko blinked as she recollected,

"Yes, I think I remember hearing about it on TV. But it has never been won by a male since that one boy from Fuyuki City seven years ago."

Kanako smiled back at the kendoist and clarified,

"I never said he won the contest. But he was really, really close. There were about 14 or 15 competitors and Onii-chan almost made it through!"

"It is most impressive, even if you didn't win." praised Motoko looking at her fiancé. "Any idea why you lost?"

"I wasn't close to the kitchen." he replied with a sigh.

"What?" asked the confused kendoist.

"I'm more used to my kitchen here." answered Keitaro waving his hand around them. "My appliances know me and I know them. But back in the contest, the organizers wouldn't let me use them."

"I do not think I understand." puzzled his fiancée. "Are you telling me that you cannot cook in another kitchen?"

Keitaro paused and looked over his kitchen as he formulated his answer.

"How do I say this? It's not that I cannot cook elsewhere - I can. But … it's kind of like borrowing someone else's shoes. You can walk in them, but you just can't feel the comfort of your own."

"Hmm ... I see." answered the kendoist. Curiously enough, everyone at the table felt that the appliances were preening towards Keitaro after his admission. Motoko personally felt that the affection coming from fridge-kun was the strongest but decided not to comment on it. She didn't think it would be appropriate ruining the moment.

After a few minutes Kanako turned towards Shinobu and asked,

"Hey Shinobu-chan?"

"Yes, Kanako-san?"

"Are you old enough for your monthly visitor now?"

Shinobu nearly choked on her food and had a difficult time swallowing. She quickly drank some water before replying with a huge blush,

"Yes … but why are you asking?"

"Oh good. Then I don't need to worry about taking about _those_ kind of things in front of you." answered Kanako.

At this point Keitaro let out a very audible sigh.

"Kanako, please do not start talking about your eroge collection at the breakfast table." he said interrupting their conversation. "We've already discussed this and I thought I made it clear that it is not a suitable topic for everyday morning conversation."

"Darn it …" trailed off his sister as she mumbled about the unfairness of it all. Suddenly her eyes lit up and with an innocent voice asked,

"Onii-chan, do you find Motoko-san attractive?"

Keitaro blinked on hearing the question. Motoko just slowed down her chewing and glanced towards her fiancé wondering what his reply would be. While he may have confessed that he found her beautiful, she was curious to know if he would openly admit it as well.

"Where did this come from?" he asked taken aback.

"Answer the question Onii-chan! As your imouto, I'm very concerned about your relationship."

He blinked a few more times towards his sister. Turning his head to glance at his fiancé, he found her smiling back at him waiting for a reply. Keitaro mentally wondered why the women were ganging up on him.

"It's not like I'm trying to keep it a secret or anything … but I do find her attractive." he answered with a light blush. "Now tell me, why did you ask that?"

"I find your answer difficult to believe." countered Kanako.

"What?!" exclaimed both Keitaro and Motoko simultaneously. Silence loomed over the breakfast table before Shinobu decided to ask,

"How can you say that Kanako-san? True, I do not know Keitaro-sempai as long as you have, but he seems to be happy with Motoko-sempai. … at least, to me he does."

"I did not say that he's unhappy with her." clarified Kanako shaking her head. "What I'm more worried about is if Onii-san really finds Motoko-san attractive?"

Twisting his mouth into half a frown and raising one of his eyebrows Keitaro commented,

"Knowing you, I'm almost certain that I'm going to regret this - but I'm going to ask anyway. If for no other reason than to satisfy the others sitting here. What _exactly_ are you talking about imouto?"

His sister knit her eyebrows closer together, raised her right hand and pointed a finger at him saying,

"If you _really_ do find her attractive, then why is she still a virgin?"

The stunned silence that hung over the table lasted even longer this time. Kanako took a deep breath before continuing,

"It appears to me Onii-san that you have no idea how to express your feelings. The same goes for Onee-san as well. But don't you two worry, I'm here to help."

She suddenly got up from the table, pointed towards her chest with her right thumb and announced,

"I give you my word as an eroge-otaku Onii-san and Onee-san, that neither of you need to worry about holding back. I will work my hardest to ensure that Onii-san makes Onee-san a _real woman_ as soon as possible!"

Kanako then got up from the table, picked up her used plate and placed it in the sink. Ignoring everyone's shocked expressions she said the customary "Thank you for the food" as she left the kitchen. It wasn't until two whole minutes had passed did Motoko break the silence by asking,

"What … just happened?"

"I don't want to know" answered her fiancé as he shook his head. "I _really_ don't want to know."

* * *

_**Front gate, Hinata Inn**_

"Looks like we split up here. See you in the evening Shinobu-chan." said Motoko as she waved her right hand towards to the younger girl who was heading off in the opposite direction. "Take care!"

"I will. Have a good day, Motoko-sempai!" replied Shinobu as she ran off towards her school.

Motoko turned and began to walk towards the metro station. It was a cloudy day and she had packed a small umbrella in her bag. She wondered what her teachers would discuss when she turned a corner and nearly bumped into a familiar face.

"Ah! Good morning Motoko-sempai." greeted the highschool girl in front of her. It took Motoko a few minutes to regain her bearings. When she did she smiled back and replied,

"Good morning to you too Sachiyo-chan." Motoko paused while she gathered her thoughts. It seemed odd to be meeting up with Sachiyo Matsumoto at this time.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a confused voice. "It's dangerous to just stand behind a corner like that. I nearly bumped into you."

"I was waiting for you." answered the chestnut haired girl enthusiastically.

"Huh?" wondered the kendoist.

"Do you not like my company?" asked the shorter girl with a whimper. Motoko released a sigh and answered,

"I do not mind. It's just that I find it really strange that you would want to wait for me. We don't even attend the same institution."

"I still want to walk with you."

"Come along then. I do not want to be late for my class and neither should you." said Motoko as she began to walk towards the metro station. Sachiyo followed a step behind, to her side.

The two of them eventually got on a metro train compartment and stood next to each other. After a few minutes Sachiyo asked,

"Motoko-sempai, where do you normally have lunch?"

"I haven't settled into a routine yet, but I ate in the park around noon yesterday."

"Can I join you there today then?"

"I see no reason why not." replied the kendoist.

"It's settled then!" exclaimed the younger girl brightly. For the rest of the trip Sachiyo wore an attractive smile on her face.

When their stop came, the two of them got out and went their separate ways. Motoko to her preparatory school and Sachiyo to her high school.

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Keitaro and Kanako had just sent their housemates off and were relaxing in front of the television. After a few minutes Kanako asked,

"How come we only have 2 channels on TV, Onii-san?"

"Because these are the only free channels our antenna can pick up right now." answered Keitaro.

"Is there any special reason why we are not subscribing to cable TV, like most other people?"

"Actually, I did put in a request with the cable company. But there have been delays in laying the wiring to our compound. Hopefully, everything will be set up by next week."

"What about internet access?" asked Kanako with some concern. "I buy most of my games online and there is a new eroge coming out in 2 weeks!"

"For now we are getting on by with our cellphones, but a physical wire will be pulled in along with the cable TV." replied Keitaro.

"I hope so …" trailed off Kanako. "It will be dull playing the same old games again and again."

She turned off the TV and the two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Kuro-chan walked up next to Kanako's legs and began rubbing against them. Unconsciously, she bent down to scratch the cat's ear.

Keitaro suddenly got up, put his hands behind his back and stretched. He blinked his eyes a few times to get rid of the drowsy feeling in them.

"We'd better get to work imouto."

"With what?" questioned Kanako. "It's too early to start making lunch."

Keitaro shook his head in dismissal and pointed to the stack of cardboard boxes next to them.

"I mean the unpacking. It will be good to get my old wardrobe back. Which boxes have our clothes?"

Kanako got up and walked towards the boxes. She spent a few minutes searching among them before she located what she was looking for.

"It's in these Onii-san!"

She pointed to a few boxes stacked in the far corner.

"Among all the boxes, the most important ones get pushed back in the corner." complained Keitaro. "It's going to take some time getting those out. So … which boxes are mine and which are yours?"

"What are you talking about? They are all our boxes." replied Kanako.

"No" replied her brother shaking his head. "I mean, which ones have your clothes and which ones have mine?"

Kanako brought a finger under her chin as she thought about the answer. With a small light bulb flashing over her head she replied,

"The ones wrapped in red tape have our underwear and the ones with blue tape have our everyday clothes. The more formal clothes were packed in the boxes with black tape."

Keitaro nodded as he processed her answer. He looked at the boxes when he suddenly realized something.

"Wait … did you pack our underwear in the _same box?_"

"Of course! Is there a problem? You wash them together anyway." replied Kanako.

Looking a bit uneasy Keitaro answered,

"I'm not exactly sure … but why did you do that? It would have been easier to just dump a box with your stuff and another with mine. Why go to all the trouble to pack our clothes based on their category?"

"I wanted to protect myself." mumbled Kanako as she turned her head away hiding a small blush. Keitaro blinked in confusion.

"I do not understand."

"The customs officials sometimes open the boxes to check for contraband and I didn't want them to see my underwear. You always hear of some pervert or the other stealing them and the thought made me uncomfortable."

She took a deep breath before facing him again and continued,

"So I sandwiched my unmentionables between your underwear Onii-san. That way, if they open the box, the only thing they'll see is your stuff."

She moved up and peered at the boxes. "On the good side, it doesn't look like any of the seals on the boxes were disturbed, so I needn't have worried. Still, better safe than sorry, right?"

Letting out a long sigh Keitaro began to scratch his head as he said,

"So let me get this straight - your underwear is literally sandwiched between mine in those boxes? And I'm guessing it's a similar story for our other clothes as well?"

Kanako nodded with a smile and said,

"That's right!" Kuro-chan meowed for added emphasis from her side.

Keitaro pulled back his right hand and began to slowly spin it around in the air. Adjusting his shoulders he said,

"Alright, lets get to work then! We'll move all those boxes to the laundry room. At least we have an industrial size washing machine here, so it shouldn't take too long."

"But _why_ Onii-san?" whined Kanako. "I can assure you that they were all clean when I packed and there is no evidence of the boxes having been opened by anyone else!"

With a wry smile Keitaro looked back at his sister and said,

"As you mentioned before imouto - better safe than sorry."

Kanako grumbled unhappily as she helped him move the boxes.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

"That was exhausting!" exclaimed Keitaro as he plopped himself onto one of the kitchen chairs. He had spent a good portion of the morning moving boxes from the living room to the laundry room. Then it was a matter of unpacking the contents and sorting the clothes, after which they needed to be washed and hung to dry. Needless to say, he wasn't brimming with energy anymore.

"You should have let me help out a bit more, rather than just the simple tasks." admonished his sister as she sat on a chair across the table from him. He looked back at her with a tired expression and said,

"No way. You still have a bit more recovery to do and I refuse to allow you to perform any strenuous tasks for the rest of the day."

"But Onii-san, I am a lot better at our healing arts now. Didn't I correctly deduce that Onee-san is still a virgin? Besides, my body feels fine to me."

"Imouto, just listen to your older brother for now alright? It's just till the end of the day. You can do whatever you feel like from tomorrow." he replied to the latter half of her assessment. Keitaro felt it best not to address the former part any time soon. Knowing his sister, she would start giving him 'suggestions' and in her more enthusiastic moments, live demonstrations. For the time being, he didn't want to deal with it.

Kanako frowned back at him and looked around the kitchen. When she noticed Kuro-chan purring at her legs, she got up from the chair and poured some milk for her into her bowl at one of the kitchen corners.

Her brother stood up from his chair with a big yawn.

"I better get started on lunch now." he said.

As Kanako looked around the kitchen her eyes fell on the toaster sitting on the shelf. She got an idea and asked,

"Wait a minute Onii-san. Can we have toast instead?"

"Huh?" asked her brother with confusion.

"We never had a toaster back in London and I want to play with Toaster-chan right now."

Keitaro looked from his sister to the toaster. Toaster-chan wasn't normally called for lunch meals and she seemed enthusiastic at the prospect. Turning back to his sister he said,

"Well, it looks like toaster-chan wants to give it a try, so why not? Just be gentle with her, alright?"

Nodding towards her brother Kanako went to the counter and picked the toaster from the shelf. She placed it on the counter and plugged in the appliance. Turning her head back to the table she asked her brother,

"How do I use her?"

"Well …" started Keitaro idly scratching his head, "there's not much to it. Just turn the dial for how long you want the toasting done, put in the bread slices and push down the handle on the side. When the time is up the bread will pop out."

Kanako took two bread slices from the side and put them in. She turned the knob for the minimum of 1 minute and using the handle on the side, pushed the bread in. She watched with open curiosity as the bread got toasted and popped out. She gave one slice to her brother and ate the other one.

"Yum! This is a lot easier than using the stove." she commented.

"Oh right. Back in London we didn't have a toaster and made toast with a pan on stove-chan."

"I want to do this a few more times. You won't really mind toast for lunch, will you Onii-san?" asked Kanako wanting to make sure that her brother was alright with the idea.

"I'm just hungry right now and don't really care. Go right ahead, imouto."

"Excellent! It's just you and me toaster-chan. We're going to have some fun times together. Just the two of us." said Kanako with glee in her voice. Keitaro could feel similar enthusiasm coming from his toaster.

The next 30 minutes were among the most bizarre he had ever seen in his kitchen. After the second round of toast Kanako decided to try a few different approaches.

"What if I try lowering the bread in slowly? Do you like that toaster-chan?" said Kanako as she placed the bread in the two slots and pushed the handle down very slowly. Keitaro felt toaster-chan strain herself a bit, but it wasn't damaging and the appliance seemed to take it as a challenge.

"Let's try it from the sides next. I'm going to put in the bread on it's side now." This time instead of placing the bread in horizontally, she put it in vertically. The result was that a bit of the bread was sticking out of the toaster, even if it was fully pushed in.

"I'm going to tease you now!" exclaimed Kanako as she pushed the bread in. But this time, instead of pushing it all the way through, she held the handle just above the point where it would get locked. She let go and watched the unheated bread pop out. She pushed again and repeated the process a few more times before finally letting it latch.

Keitaro was a bit worried about toaster-chan's springs getting damaged and he was going to voice his concerns aloud to Kanako when he _felt_ his toaster. The little thing actually seemed to be in _bliss!_ Actually, it felt a bit more than that. Realizing that he risked his toaster hating him for the rest of his life if he dared to interrupt, he just kept quiet. And watched. He had to watch of course. It was his precious little toaster-chan after all!

When lunch was finally over, the two them were stuffed with toast. Kanako rubbed her cheek against the side of the toaster and said,

She gave the toaster a small kiss on the side and turned to address her brother.

"I'm going to take a nap in my room now. Is that alright?"

"Sure, no problem." he replied with a bemused expression.

"Come on Kuro-chan!" said Kanako and Keitaro watched the two of them leave the kitchen. After a few minutes of silence had passed he turned to the toaster and said in a teasing voice,

"You like her, don't you? I can't remember eating toast this delicious before."

He felt the other appliances in the kitchen agree with him. From toaster-chan on the other hand, he felt a really huge blush of embarrassment.

* * *

_**Outside the Preparatory school**_

Motoko stepped out for lunch and was heading towards the nearby park when she heard someone call her name. Looking around she spotted a highschool girl running towards her. She stopped walking and recognized the figure approaching her.

"Hello Emi-chan!" she greeted the smaller girl. "Do you need something from me?"

Emi Ichikawa came next to her and paused for a few moments while her breath caught up with her.

"-pant- Good afternoon -pant- Motoko-sempai. -pant-"

"Is this some kind of emergency?" asked Motoko with some concern. It didn't appear that the girl in front of her was in any trouble, rather she just appeared to be very tired.

Emi shook her head in dismissal and said,

"No … -pant-"

"Then take a few deep breaths and calm yourself. Why were you running?"

Emi took her advice and collected herself. When she was done she answered,

"I was looking for you Motoko-sempai. You told me that you went to a nearby preparatory school, but I waited in front of the wrong one! It wasn't until the lunch rush thinned out did I remember that there was another school near here. What is this one called anyway?"

Motoko looked back towards the glass doors of her preparatory school. It was a sleek building, but there were no signs placed outside.

"It's called Sasaki Seminar. I heard that they are in the process of replacing the signboard outside, which is why it is not there now. It was removed a few weeks back."

Emi looked towards the building and commented,

"That seems to be a bad idea. How are people supposed to find the place if they don't remind us what its called?"

"A lot of us wonder the same thing." acknowledged Motoko as she nodded her head towards the building. Turning back to her companion she asked,

"So … did you need something from me?"

A light blush grew on Emi's cheeks and she bent her head down in embarrassment as she mumbled a reply. Motoko blinked in confusion.

"I'm sorry, but can you repeat that? I didn't hear you."

"I was hoping that I could have lunch with you." replied the girl shyly.

"Eh?" Motoko said with confusion evident in her voice.

"I'm not being a bother am I?" pleaded Emi with a cute voice.

Motoko closed her eyes as she let out a long sigh wondering why so many people wanted to eat with her. Opening her eyes she looked back at Emi and said,

"I was meeting with someone else, but I don't think your company will be a problem. Come along then."

Motoko turned and began walking to the park with Emi following a step behind her.

* * *

_**Park near Sasaki Seminar**_

"Good afternoon Sachiyo-chan!" greeted Motoko as she waved towards the girl who was waiting near the park entrance.

"Good afternoon Motoko-sempai!" replied the short haired girl.

Motoko then stepped to the side and waved a hand towards Emi to introduce her.

"I've brought a friend with me. This is Emi Ichikawa and she'll be eating with us as well. I hope you don't mind?"

"No problem at all!" replied Sachiyo as she shook her head. She then looked at Emi for a few moments before asking,

"By any chance are you Emi from room 5-D?"

"Yes, that's me." replied Emi as she nodded her head.

"Oh, so you know her then?" asked Motoko curious at their exchange. Sachiyo turned her head to face the kendoist before answering,

"Emi-chan is good at painting and I've seen her work hanging in the art room." she then turned to face the girl and greeted her with a smile, "I'm glad to meet you Emi-chan. My name is Sachiyo Matsumoto."

Emi's eyes lit up in recognition and she said, "Ah! You were the one who got second place at the marathon in our recent sports meet, right?"

Smiling Sachiyo nodded her head.

"That's me."

"Well then if we're all ready, shall we find a place to sit and eat?" asked Motoko from the side feeling hunger grow inside her belly.

"Yes" "Sure" came the replies.

A few minutes later, the three of them were seated on the grass, eating their lunches. They spent the time making small talk and generally enjoying the meal. Motoko was surprised to learn that Emi lived near the Hinata area. They agreed to meet at the metro station in the evening before splitting up.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

Shinobu had come back from her school club activities and was making a cake in the kitchen. Keitaro was supervising her and Kanako was there because she didn't have anything else to do.

The blue haired girl had just put the cake in the oven and closed the door. She set it for the required time, stepped back and turned to face her guardian. He smiled back at her.

"Looks like you know what are you are doing. Frankly, I was a bit worried about letting you use the kitchen, but it looks like I needn't have worried."

Kanako looked up from the magazine she was reading and gave a small wolf whistle towards Shinobu.

"Looks like you passed. What cake were you making anyway?"

"A chocolate marble cake, Kanako-san." replied the girl with a small blush.

"When can we eat it?"

Shinobu looked at the watch in her hand and replied,

"It will take some time. But I think it should be ready by the time Motoko-sempai comes back."

"Shinobu-chan, I was wondering" started off Keitaro, "would it be possible for me to come to your school and check out that cursed doll you mentioned earlier?"

"Oh, me too Onii-san! I want to come and see the doll too!" spoke up Kanako.

"I … guess that shouldn't be a problem. I need to ask one of the teachers though." answered Shinobu.

"That's fine. We're not in a hurry and I would rather follow procedure if I can help it."

* * *

_**Outside Sasaki Seminar**_

With her classes over, Motoko relaxed as she left the preparatory school. After reaching the bottom steps she glanced ahead and saw a familiar figure walking ahead of her. She quickened her pace and was soon walking alongside her target.

"What do _you_ want?" asked Naru sarcastically.

"I merely wanted to walk with you to the metro station Naru-chan. You were so difficult to meet up with in the preparatory school that this is the only chance I get to interact with you." replied Motoko in a pleasant tone.

Inwardly Naru cringed. It had been difficult for her to avoid Motoko during the day. The pest seemed to be everywhere! When she was trying to find a seat, the pest would try sitting next to her in class. The pest kept on trying to talk with her during the day, but Naru somehow managed to dodge her.

Until now. She was forced to walk with the insect until the metro station. She had hoped that by leaving a bit early she would be able to avoid Motoko, but it didn't seem that things would go her way. Staying back until the pest left wasn't an option as Naru didn't want to take the evening ride home.

It looked like she had to endure Motoko's company after all.

"But I'm not interested in interacting with you!" said Naru with hostility.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself, regardless." pointed out Motoko. Naru huffed in reply and said,

"Fine! Be that way. I'm going to mind my own business and IGNORE you."

"Not the most ideal of circumstance, but I suppose it will do … for now." replied Motoko.

The rest of the trip proceeded rather quietly. Naru didn't like the way the pest kept trying to walk next to her but she had to admit, at least she kept out of her personal space. They soon arrived at the station. Naru made a point to turn her back towards the insect as she walked to her platform. The kendoist having expected this just smiled and waved to Naru's back as she said,

"Goodbye! I'll see you tomorrow."

After that, the kendoist walked towards the platform that took her home. Greeting Emi & Sachiyo, the three of them took the metro towards Hinata. Motoko walked with the two high school girls for some time before their paths split up. She agreed to meet up with them again the next day before proceeding on her own towards the Hinata Sou.

* * *

_**Kitchen, Hinata Inn**_

"This is some excellent cake Shinobu-chan!" exclaimed Motoko after she swallowed her first bite. Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table for tea time.

"Thank you Motoko-sempai." replied the blue haired girl with a light blush and a smile.

"It really is delicious." commented Kanako from the side. Kuro-chan meowed in agreement from her corner. A small piece of the cake had been placed in her bowl as well.

"So how was your day?" Keitaro asked his fiancée. Motoko took another bite of the cake before replying.

"The teachers are pushing us hard and more tests are coming up. In fact, there is a rumor going on that they will try collaborating with other preparatory schools around the country to conduct a mock entrance exam."

"That sounds intense." commented Kanako.

"It's still a rumor at this point. Although, some of the faculty were heard saying that it might be too much of a strain to conduct it."

"What about the gardening club at your school, Shinobu-chan? Have they gotten into any more messes today?" asked Keitaro.

Shinobu shook her head.

"No. They've decided not to use any more machines for a few weeks now. Since the last incident, they want to try growing a hand-made flower bed before trying more advanced tools."

"There is a very puzzling girl in my class." said Motoko.

"Oh? What do you mean Onee-san?"

Motoko looked at the ceiling and thought about how best to describe Naru.

"Well, she's very stand-offish. And is deliberately rude to most people." Keitaro raised one of his eyebrows on hearing that.

"_Deliberately_ rude? You mean to say that she's acting or something?" he asked.

"Well …" Motoko trailed off as she thought about how to answer. "At the very least, she doesn't behave like some stand-offish snob or something like that."

A few question marks popped up above Kanako's head.

"There have been a few incidents of bullying in the building and -"

"Oh, I see! She doesn't bully anyone directly, but tries to manipulate things from the shadows!" interrupted Kanako.

The kendoist shook her head and continued,

"No, that couldn't be farther from the truth. If anything she's the opposite. She stays on the sidelines and does things to stop the bullying."

"Sounds like a nice girl to me." concluded Keitaro.

"I thought so too. But whenever I've tried to talk with her for the past few days, she just brushes me off. Very rudely too."

"And yet, you still want to talk to her? Despite her attitude?" questioned Keitaro.

Motoko nodded her head.

"Yes, I am most curious to know what makes her behave in that manner."

Kanako brought a hand to her lips and thought about the whole thing.

"Hmmm... it's a girl who acts standoffish on the outside, helps people from the sidelines, feels like a nice person but doesn't seem to want to talk …" trailed off Kanako. Keitaro widened his eyebrows on realizing what she was hinting at.

"Imouto, you can't mean that she's ?"

His sister nodded back.

"Yes, I think she could very well be one, Onee-san."

"It would explain things … yes …" trailed off Keitaro as he gave it more thought.

Motoko looked back and forth between the two siblings and asked,

"Err … what are you two talking about?"

"She's a _tsundere_." replied Keitaro and Kanako simultaneously.

Motoko just looked back at them with an expression of disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me. There's no such thing as a tsundere in real life!"

Keitaro sighed and answered,

"That's up to you to decide. But, it looks like you are going to have a hard time dealing with her. I wish you luck."

The conversation then drifted off to other topics. Shinobu got into a discussion with Kanako about her cooking club while Keitaro occasionally gave a few pointers. During all this, Motoko was feeling something _off_ about her fiancé. He was still his usual self, but she couldn't seem to get rid of the feeling.

She closed her eyes and tried to extend her senses. It would be rude to get into a trance at the table so she could only do a simple probe. At least, her fiancé was sitting nearby. As she reached out to him she sensed that _feeling_ again. It seemed to be directed towards Kanako.

Motoko opened her eyes in surprise. She blinked a few times and looked at the two siblings in front of her. It was hard to believe, but what other way could it be explained? Keitaro had feelings towards his younger sister! The kendoist sincerely hoped that she was misreading something because things would get really complicated otherwise. And what was that Kanako told her earlier? That she had tried to get her brother's attention before and failed? Did she finally succeed?

Motoko frowned a bit and looked at the two of them again. It didn't feel like lust. That she could easily confirm. Perhaps it was just sibling affection? Somehow it just didn't seem to fit. Adoration? But then why would Keitaro adore his own sister?

"Is something the matter Motoko?" asked a concerned Keitaro. "You've been staring at me for some time now. Is there something on my face?"

Motoko blinked and shook her head to clear her thoughts. This was embarrassing. She didn't mean for it to be that obvious.

"It's nothing. I was just lost in thought."

"Maybe she's just hungry for something other than cake?" suggested Kanako. She got up and moved to the counter behind her brother. "Here, I'll make some toast."

It was then that Motoko got a glimpse of toaster-chan sitting on the counter behind Keitaro. He was blocking her view of the appliance and from where she was sitting it appeared as if he was the source of all those feelings, when it was in fact the toaster!

Motoko let out a relieved sigh as she realized that her fiancé was fine and not having any weird obsessions with his sister. Still, the mystery wasn't fully solved. Why was toaster-chan giving off those feelings towards Kanako?

The kendoist watched as Kanako spread some butter on the bread before slowing pushing it into the toaster. The movement reminded Motoko of something, but she felt it inappropriate to mention at the table. Instead she decided to ask another question,

"Isn't it dangerous to put butter on the bread before heating it?"

"I thought so too, at first. But it seems that toaster-chan likes it when Kanako does it. Not only is the toast good, but she someone manages to keep away the mess." answered Keitaro.

"Here!" said Kanako placing a piece of buttered toast in front of Motoko. "It's really tasty. I'm sure it will cheer you up."

The kendoist smiled at her future sister-in-law and said, "I wasn't upset to begin with, but thank you." She picked up the toast and bit into it.

Motoko's eyes widened in surprise. The toast was amazing! She quickly gobbled it up.

"That was surprising. How did you manage to make it come out like that?"

Kanako was slowly rubbing the side of the toaster affectionately. She smiled back at Motoko and said,

"It's like Onii-san said before. Just take care of your appliances and they will take care of you."

"But aren't these Keitaro's appliances?" questioned Motoko.

"They may be most loyal to me Motoko, but that does not limit them from anyone else. Kanako's never seen a toaster before and I guess she took a fancy to toaster-chan here."

"I'm not really sure what to think about all this …" trailed off Motoko with uncertainty evident in her voice.

"Look at it this way - as long as toaster-chan still makes good toast, does it matter?" asked her fiancé.

"I guess not."

"Then just go with that. Who knows? Perhaps it will rub off on you too." commented Keitaro with a knowing smile.

Motoko just nodded and picked up her orange juice. As she sipped the liquid from her glass, Keitaro caught her eyes subconsciously drift towards the stove.

Kanako returned to her seat nibbling some toast. As she sat down she asked,

"I'm planning to unpack some of my boxes after this."

"Which ones? I thought we already opened up our clothes earlier." commented her brother.

"My book collection. The dorm mistress back in London told me that I couldn't bring all my books with me and so I decided to bring them here. At least you'll be able to keep them from rotting!"

"I don't mind. Wait … aren't my books in there too then?"

"Yes. I was hoping we could shelf them all in the basement library downstairs." suggested Kanako.

"Wait, this building has a library?" asked a curious Motoko. Her fiancé nodded back to her.

"Oh yes! It's more than just a library though. Think of it as more of an open storeroom where the family keeps things for long term storage."

Motoko blinked back at him. That was a new term for her.

"What do you mean by 'open storeroom' ? I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing before."

Kanako decided to clarify for her,

"What Onii-san means is that we let guests who stay here access it too. The family vaults are in a more secure location, but _the library_ as we like to call it, is full of little knick-knacks and other odd things that might be amusing to share around."

"Ah, I see."

"You do remember how I like the books arranged don't you imouto?" asked Keitaro.

"Don't worry Onii-san. I've got it covered." replied Kanako. "So can you guys help me?" she asked her other housemates.

"Why not? I'm curious to see your collection." answered Motoko.

"Me too. I'll help as well." added Shinobu.

Keitaro was about to join in the effort when he suddenly remembered exactly _what_ was in Kanako's collection. Not feeling comfortable with the idea of suddenly exposing all that to their youngest member he suggested,

"Before that, could you help me with the dishes Shinobu-chan? We can talk a bit more about cooking too."

"Alright sempai. Sorry Kanako-san." apologized the youngest member to the girl across her.

"Looks like it will just be you and me, Onee-san!" said Kanako smiling towards Motoko.

* * *

_**Basement Library, Hinata Inn**_

Motoko was expecting some kind of messy storeroom based on the descriptions provided by the Urashima siblings. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the library wasn't as much of a mess as she thought. It was a huge underground room with shelves that seemed to extend far beyond what she could see. All sorts of things were kept there too. Mostly books, but as she walked by, she spotted a few stacks of old newspapers, some old toys, ancient game systems and even a few training dummies.

"You call this a library?" she asked aloud to Kanako who was walking in front.

"Well … a library is where you usually store books right? And we've got books in here too." she said pointing to a stack of old mystery novels.

"Most libraries I've seen do not have _those_ in them." commented Motoko as she directed the other girl's attention to an old aquarium.

"I think that one belongs to Haruka-san. She's our aunt." answered Kanako. "And yes, there are more than just books in here, but at least it's easy for guests to access anything this way."

"Considering the dust around here, I have to wonder if any guest will even bother coming in here." said the kendoist dryly.

"Well …" started Kanako, "most of the time they just ask the Inn manager to fetch them something or the other. Sometimes we let younger children explore this room if they don't make a mess."

Motoko sneezed when some of the dust fell on her head.

"I think we'll need to clean this place up first."

"You are probably right. Looks like it will be a pain to do it ourselves. But, I've got this faint memory that the cleaning was done through magical means before." said Kanako.

"Really?" asked Motoko with a hint of surprise.

"Kinda. Onii-san would probably know what I'm referring to. I don't remember it too well."

The kendoist nearly stubbed her toe on a box on the floor. She pointed her flashlight at it and saw that it was an old doll. The packaging indicated that it was from the early 1900's. Motoko idly wondered if doll collecting was some kind of Urashima family hobby.

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Motoko getting a bit impatient.

"There should be a door somewhere back here …" trailed off Kanako. "Ah, here it is!" she exclaimed as she opened a door hidden behind a shelf and walked in.

"Here we are!" announced Kanako as she lowered the books she was carrying. Motoko placed the box she was carrying next to it.

"So where are we?" asked the kendoist.

"This is the reading room." answered Kanako. Kuro-chan who had been following her, meowed from below.

"Looks like a sandstorm passed through here." commented Motoko as she looked around the room. It was a mostly empty room with a few chairs and two sofas in the center. There was a thick pile of dust on top of everything. Even the underside of the tables weren't spared.

"We can worry about cleaning it later. For now, I just need your help to bring the boxes I brought from London in here."

The two of them spent the next hour moving things around.

* * *

_**Next Saturday, Storehouse B, Shinobu's school**_

"This is the storeroom where people have said the cursed doll resides." said Shinobu as she walked up to the door of the storehouse. She looked back towards her housemates. Keitaro was standing behind her, with Kanako behind him. Motoko was standing on his right. She didn't have classes during this weekend and had free time. Privately, Shinobu felt that she liked walking with Keitaro.

The janitor who lead them opened the storehouse door and turned towards them saying, "The principal tells me that you folks might be able to get rid of the demon who lives here. Well, let me tell you, I'll be glad to be able to use this room again. I've kept some really valuable tools in here and it's been a pain working without them."

Motoko looked back at him with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean a demon lives in here? We were told that it was a cursed doll that was scaring everyone away."

Using his right hand, the janitor stroked his beard twice before answering, "Cursed doll, demon, shadow monster - I don't really care what it's called. But the sooner you get rid of it, the happier I'll be."

Keitaro was about to step through the door before he remembered something. He stepped back and asked the janitor, "Before we start, is there anything we should know first?"

Looking back at his skeptically the janitor replied, "You already know that there's something weird in there. What else should I tell you?"

It was Kanako who answered by raising her finger in the air to say, "What Onii-san wants to know is if there is anything flammable in the room. Like petrol, gas or the like."

"Huh?" replied a puzzled janitor. "This is a school. Why the heck would we have any of those things around? It would be dangerous if any of the kids got their little hands on it." He scratched his head and continued, "Last PTA meeting, I heard that there was a huge fuss over one of the art teachers projects involving knives. Some parents didn't approve of their kids using such dangerous tools."

Keitaro blinked when he heard that. "Wait, this school has activities that use knives?"

The janitor shook his head. "Not the kind of knives you are thinking." He looked towards the sky while he recollected the event. "It was a funny story, really. The teacher in charge wanted to teach the class table manners. So he arranged fake spoons, forks and knives to be distributed to all the students in his class."

"That sounds reasonable." commented Kanako. The janitor nodded back.

"It seemed that way - at first. Then one of the kids found out that he could sharpen the knife by using a broken-down cycle as a makeshift grinding stone."

"Very creative of him." opinionated Motoko.

"The unfortunate part was the it was one of the class bullies who tricked him into doing it. Kids from the neighbouring classes found out about it and the next thing you know there were little knife-fights going on all over the school. It was a royal mess."

"I remember that event. A few of my classmates got some nasty bruises on their arms that day." added Shinobu with a sad tone.

The janitor frowned and looked back at her. "Yeah, it was bad. But my point is that we don't keep dangerous items in the school. If something of that nature does pop up, we just throw it into one of our storehouses and forget about it."

Keitaro pressed his lips and tapped the janitor's left shoulder. "Er .. excuse me?"

He turned his head to face the college student. "What is it?"

"By any chance is this one of those storehouses where you throw away dangerous stuff like that?" he pointed towards the open storehouse they were about to enter.

The janitor shook his head. "Oh no. Come on, do you take me for a fool or something? All those items get thrown into storehouse A. This is storehouse B."

"So … what gets thrown in here then?" asked Motoko.

"I have no idea." admitted the janitor.

"What?!" exclaimed Kanako.

He just shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I've never been able to use this storehouse since I got employed here. Each time I go in there, something or the other spooks me out and I run away screaming."

"That's awfully frank of you - admitting to us that you run away scared." said Motoko impressed with his honesty.

"Alright, that's enough chit chat." said Keitaro taking control of the situation. "Shinobu, you come with me and we'll go in together. Kanako - you stay with Motoko and check out the right side of this storehouse. We'll go left. Shout out if you find anything suspicious, ok?"

"Got it." "Understood." came the replies.

"What about me?" asked the janitor feeling a bit left out.

Keitaro blinked back at him. "Hmm... it won't be too useful if you come in with us, so why don't you just stand out here and monitor the situation? You can run away screaming if anything horrible happens."

"Yes sir!" he replied giving Keitaro a small salute. The university student was surprised that it actually felt reassuring. He then turned around and entered the storehouse with Shinobu walking next to him.

* * *

_**Inside the storehouse**_

"Do you see anything suspicious yet?" asked Keitaro as he turned around a stack of old textbooks with Shinobu at his side.

"Nothing yet sempai." she replied.

"Any idea why nothing has happened yet? From the rumors you told me, shadows should start moving around once a student enters this place."

"I'm not sure. Is that the reason why you asked me to wear my school uniform today?" asked Shinobu as she slowly began to understand the plan.

"Yes." her guardian replied next to her.

"What about Motoko-sempai and Kanako-san? Won't they need a student uniform too?" asked Shinobu with a bit of concern.

"You won't need to worry about that." replied Keitaro. "Trust me - it's better this way."

He couldn't prevent the small blush from his cheeks as he recollected the scene in the Hinata Sou a few hours earlier. After he told Shinobu to change into her school uniform, Kanako bounced off and quickly returned wearing one of her disguises. Appropriately, it was another school uniform. He wasn't sure how, but in the small interval when he left the living room to get drink some water from the kitchen, Kanako had convinced Motoko to try on the uniform.

Keitaro had to admit, while the dress was tight, his fiancée most certainly looked attractive in it. He was about to comment on it when Kanako flipped up Motoko's skirt granting him a clear view of the white panties she was wearing. In her embarrassment Motoko knocked Kanako out, while he quickly retreated into the kitchen. When he returned a few minutes later, the two of them were back in their usual outgoing clothes with Kanako apologizing to Motoko.

"It's better this way." he repeated to the girl next to him.

"If you say so." she replied with a small sigh.

The two of them looked around the storehouse for a few more minutes before Shinobu thought she heard something. She blinked and looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Keitaro was next to her rummaging through a box of old sports equipment while she was next to a bookshelf. She turned in the other direction and tired listening again.

"Did you hear that sempai?" she asked aloud.

"Hmm..?" mumbled Keitaro as he got up and looked in the direction she indicated.

There was no mistaking it. They could hear footsteps approaching them. What was bothersome was that it sounded different. Normally when a person walks you can hear the sound he/she makes when they take a step. This is soon followed by a similar sound when the other leg steps forward. But the sound the two of them heard was the falling of both feet - not just one. It was highly improbable that either of their housemates would be pulling a prank on them so they stood still and peered into the shadows cast by the old equipment in front of them.

It soon appeared. A wooden japanese doll. She was really small, about the size of Keitaro's palm. The doll was wearing a blue kimono that was torn in multiple places. The paint on her left eye had smudged off and her face looked really dusty.

Considering how old it was supposed to be, Keitaro summarised that it was to be expected. What he overlooked was how Shinobu reacted to the display.

"EEEEkkkk!" she screamed pointing towards the doll approaching them.

"Stand where you are, we're coming!" shouted Motoko's voice from the other side of the storehouse.

The doll didn't walk. Instead it hopped. Ketaro guessed that it couldn't move it's legs - but why was that? Regardless he couldn't leave Shinobu standing petrified like that. He pulled her behind him with his left hand and said,

"Stay behind me, alright?"

"H-hai!" she nervously replied.

He tried to pacify her in a soothing voice, "Don't worry. From what I know of cursed dolls, they can't harm a person. For the most part, all they are interested is in scaring people."

He was surprised when the doll answered him back,

"He, he, he … But I'm different. I am no ordinary doll!"

Keitaro's eyes widened in horror as black miasma began to grow out of the shadows surrounding the doll.

"This could be a problem …"

"What's happening sempai? I thought you said it was harmless!" protested the girl behind him as she hugged him tighter.

"I wasn't expecting it to be possessed by a demon!" he snapped. "I hope Motoko and Kanako get here soon."

Keitaro watched as some of the black miasma grew into a gelatinous blob out of the shadow below the doll. It swirled around into the shape of a ball and shot out at him.

He quickly stretched his left palm in front and activated a spell. From behind him, Shinobu watched as a luminous circle quickly stretched out from the center of his palm and grow to a size double her own height. The circle acted as a barrier and the miasma that shot out at them slammed into it and dropped to the ground.

"Oh? Looks like you know a few tricks …" said the doll in a creepy voice. "But can you handle _this?_"

The amount of dark miasma around the doll tripled and at least twelve gelatinous blobs formed around it. In a synchronous motion they all shot out towards Keitaro and Shinobu.

"AAAhhh!" screamed Shinobu from behind Keitaro's back. He was frowning as the shots rammed into his barrier. From where Shinobu was, it looked like he was effectively at a standstill. Keitaro couldn't bring his hand down to try another attack as they were constantly being shot at by the miasma. Each time the blobs hit his barrier it made a 'THUD' sound and ripples similar to how they appear over a water surface formed at the point of contact.

* * *

_**Other end of the storehouse**_

"Stand where you are, we're coming!" shouted Motoko as soon as she heard Shinobu's scream. She glanced towards Kanako and nodded in silent agreement with her. The two of them sprinted towards the direction where the scream had come from.

Motoko frowned as she heard the sounds of fighting. It seemed that someone was using projectile weapons. It must be their attacker, summarized Motoko as Keitaro would be more concerned with protecting Shinobu than fighting back. Which meant that he expected the two of them to be on the offensive.

The kendoist turned a corner and came across an odd sight. Shinobu was frightened, standing behind Keitaro and hugging him. Her fiancé on the other hand was just playing a defensive game. He was frowning and appeared to be sweating, but his posture spoke differently. He was standing rigid without even attempting to attack the opponent! Normally when faced with a demon, the first priority would be to defend any innocent bystanders. The next step being to start casting offensive spells. But Keitaro was doing nothing with his free hand. He just used it to hold Shinobu closer to himself.

"What is he doing?" she whispered to Kanako who came up next to her. The two of them were crouching behind a table and the doll hadn't noticed them yet.

"Perhaps Onii-chan likes small chests? She is cute and very close to him at the moment …" suggested Kanako.

Motoko frowned and turned to look at Keitaro's sister. "Be serious for a change. Its too unusual for him not to try attacking the demon right now."

The other girl just stuck her tongue out and said, "It's what I would do in his place! Besides you haven't done anything with him yet. Onii-san's probably very frustrated right now."

Motoko bopped her on the head. "Even assuming that he was interested in Shinobu-chan like that, he has had plenty of opportunity to hug her back at the Inn. Why would he bother doing it now, in the middle of a fight?"

Kanako blinked as she considered it. "Good point. Perhaps it's Shinobu-chan who's trying to remove his pants now? I mean she does have her hands wrapped around his stomach and -"

Motoko chopped the younger girl lightly on her head. "Would you stop thinking all those perverted ideas and figure out how to deal with this situation?"

Rubbing her head she peeked over the table and commented, "I'm not sure why you are getting all worked about. It's not even a strong demon. Any one of us could easily -"

Kanako fell silent as she caught her brother's eye. She blinked back, acknowledging that she got the message and bent behind the table.

"Did you figure out something?" asked Motoko hoping that the other girl's sudden silence meant something.

"Yes, Onii-san just told me why he's not attacking the doll."

"Wait, how did he communicate with you? I'm right next to you and I didn't hear anything." argued Motoko.

"It's a family secret. Ask Onii-san to teach it to you later." answered Kanako. "He says that he wants us to dispel the demon from the doll before attempting to exorcise it. I don't understand why though."

Motoko knitted her eyebrows closer as she thought about it. Dispelling the demon would mean expelling it from the doll first. Exorcising it while it was in the doll should result in the same thing, so why would Keitaro make such a request? It didn't make much sense to her.

Her eyes widened in realization as an idea struck her. She peeked over the table and _looked_ at the doll. There was no mistaking it. Faint as it was, there was something else inside that doll. Keitaro must have detected it and that was the reason he wasn't fighting back. He didn't want to harm the demon's host.

Motoko looked at the wooden bokken in her hand. 'Might as well give this a shot' she said to herself.

"Keep watching things from here, I'm going to try dispelling that demon." she said to Kanako as she was about to jump over their hiding spot.

"Wait Onee-san!" said Kanako grabbing the other girl's hand.

"This is not the time for another suggestion on how to seduce my fiancé!" argued Motoko.

Kanako shook her head. "It isn't that. But I don't think your bokken will work for dispelling the demon."

The kendoist raised her left eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

Kanako pointed towards the wooden demon, "That's a wooden construct. With your wooden bokken you might end up destroying it instead. What we need is something metallic. By any chance did you bring your real sword with you?"

Motoko frowned as she shook her head. Kanako looked around the area hoping to find an alternative. Her eyes landed on a discarded bicycle. She smiled and said, "That should do."

The kendoist watched as her companion moved over to the bicycle and activate a pair of magic circles on both her hands. The glow of active mana appeared on the back of her hands. Kanako then placed her hands on the floor next the to bicycle. A faint glow came around the vehicle and Motoko watched in amazement as it disintegrated into the air splitting into tiny fragments of dust. A small wind formed on the spot with the dust reforming into a sword in front of Kanako.

She picked up the weapon and moved back to Motoko. The older girl noticed that Kanako was breathing heavily. She looked into her eyes with concern. Kanako understood the unasked question and answered, "I know a bit of alchemy."

Deciding that further questions could be asked later, Motoko accepted the sword and jumped over the table she was hiding behind.

The demon-possessed doll didn't even notice her sneak up behind in. Motoko muttered a small spell and thrust the sword through the doll's back. The miasma that was pounding against Keitaro's shield suddenly stopped firing. It fell back into the shadows and a black aura began to grow around the doll.

Motoko squinted her eyes and raised the sword, with the doll still attached, in a quick upward motion. The result was that the doll flew off the sword vertically into the air. The black aura however, remained on the sword. Not wasting any time, the kendoist threw the sword into the ground a little in front of her fiancé. As the doll fell back to the ground, she caught it with both her hands.

Keitaro dispelled his shield and slammed his open palm on the floor. A magic circle grew on the floor surrounding the sword. Some shadows tried to escape from the blade, but they were pushed back by his circle. He spoke another spell and turned the hand on the floor counter-clockwise in a right angle.

The glow around the sword brightened and everyone heard it shatter. As everyone's eyes readjusted to the dark room they saw that the demon and the sword were no more.

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Everyone was looking at the old, broken and dirty wooden doll that was placed on the floor in front of the television. After the exorcism, they spent some time searching the storehouse for more clues as to the origin of the doll. The only lead they found was an old wooden chest. It was engraved with pictures that indicated it was where the doll was kept before it got possessed. There were many old papers in the chest which at first glance, seemed to contain instructions on how to activate the doll. With the janitor's permission, they took those items back with to the Hinata Sou for further study.

Keitaro looked up from the papers he finished reading and frowned.

"What do you think Onii-san?" asked Kanako.

Without turning his eyes away from the doll in front he answered, "It's difficult to say. These are instructions on how to activate the doll, but the rest of the documents are in code."

"Err... what is 'in code' mean? Is it another language?" asked Shinobu.

Motoko decided to answer, "Not exactly Shinobu-chan. In this instance, it simply means that the someone wrote those documents in a way that makes it very difficult to read for a person who does not know how to interpret it."

She then closed her eyes and probed the doll in front of her. There was no malicious feeling coming from the toy and the power within it seemed to be dormant. Motoko probed a bit more and quickly opened her eyes in shock. She blinked twice and probed again. There was no mistaking it!

"I have something to report" she said in a worrisome tone. When she had everyone's attention she continued, "Whatever power is within this doll is leaking away. I guess the effects of being possessed along with the subsequent exorcism were too much for it to handle."

"Is there any way we can save it?" asked a worried Shinobu.

"I could try binding the magical essence within the doll to the springs here. The problem however, is that it wouldn't' last for very long. The wood on this doll is really old and is almost ready to rot away. Frankly, I think it's a miracle that it's even lasted this long." answered Keitaro.

"That's only if we try to keep it in a dormant state, right? What if we activate the doll?" suggested Kanako.

"It would probably work but …" trailed off Keitaro with a grimace.

"You are not sure what the doll's purpose is, correct?" asked Motoko sitting across him. He nodded back.

"I do not understand." confessed a confused Shinobu.

Motoko turned her head to face her before clarifying, "Artifacts like these are always made with a purpose in mind. This is all the more important if it might be sentient. They will usually try to fulfill whatever objective their creator made them for and it might be harmful to us."

She turned to face her fiancé to continue, "However, I do not feel any harmful intent from this doll. While it has power, it does not appear to be dangerous. I'm guessing that it was meant to act as an assistant or something."

"Thats what I thought so as well." said Keitaro.

"Something I find most peculiar about the doll, is that it's aura is very human-like." said Motoko.

Everyone blinked at that. Keitaro decided to ask for clarifications, "Do you mean to suggest that a person's soul could be trapped in the doll?"

Motoko shook her head. "No, it's too incomplete to be a soul. But in spite of that, I get the very strong feeling that it is human. Or maybe something that should become a human?"

"That … doesn't make sense." commented Kanako.

"Sorry but I'm not sure how else to describe it." replied Motoko. "Regardless, I would like to activate this doll."

"Are you sure that it will be alright?" asked her fiancé.

"If we leave it alone, it will very likely disintegrate over the next week. Considering how human-like it is, it almost feels as if we killed a person should that happen. I do not sense any malicious aura coming from it, so I think it should be safe for activation."

"Why not Onii-san? You've always wanted a live doll for a long time now and besides, once it's alive you can ask it yourself what its purpose is." suggested Kanako.

Keitaro smiled back at his sister before answering, "Don't get me wrong imouto, I'm really excited about the prospect of having a live doll around. What worries me are these instructions." He pointed towards the documents he was reading.

"According to these papers, to activate our sleeping friend we need a strand of hair from a male and female. Just tie those around the doll's fingers and the latent magic within it should do the rest."

"I volunteer." said Motoko in a firm voice. "You are the only male present here and since I am the one who requested to activate the doll, it is only appropriate that I donate my hair for the procedure."

Keitaro smiled at his fiancée, nodding his head. With a worried tone he said, "As happy as I am to hear that, we still have another problem to deal with. Namely the amount of magical essence left in the doll. I could bind it to the spring, but its highly unlikely that it's wooden body is in any shape to survive the procedure."

"What about a magical transfer?" suggested Kanako. "It's not a must that you should use this same doll right? You could just transfer the magical essence to another doll or figurine and it should still work out."

"And from where would we find another such doll?" argued Keitaro. "Most of my figurine collection is plastic and even the wooden ones I have are of a different wood-type. Unless we find another doll with the exact same kind of wood as the one in front of us, such a transfer won't work."

"What kind of wood will work sempai?" asked Shinobu.

"The irony is that any doll older than 50 years would work. Around that time, a new cheaper wood-type was found and the newer wooden dolls have been made with that ever since." he replied.

Everyone sat in silence thinking about the problem before Motoko spoke up.

"What about the old doll in the basement library?"

Keitaro blinked back in confusion and asked, "What are you talking about? I don't recall any such thing."

"I remember seeing an old doll that matches the description you mentioned when I went down with Kanako earlier." answered Motoko as she stood up. "Wait here, I'll bring it over."

* * *

_**Living room, Hinata Inn**_

Keitaro had spent the past 20 minutes looking over the old doll that Motoko had brought. He checked its packaging, the clothes it had on and most importantly, the durability of its woodwork. Finally finished with his examination he let out a long sigh.

"Well, will it work Onii-san?" asked Kanako.

"I think it should." answered her brother as he nodded towards her. He turned his head to face Motoko and asked her,

"It's probably best to do the activation and transfer simultaneously. Are you sure you want to do this?"

She blinked, looked back at him and replied, "I would be a hypocrite if I backed down now. What do you need from me?"

"A strand of your hair."

Motoko nodded pulled out a strand of her long black hair. She handed it to him with her right hand. He smiled as he accepted it and tied it around the left hand of the European style doll she had found in their basement library. He pulled out a strand of his own hair and tied it around the right hand of the doll.

"That should be enough to initiate the activation. Kanako-chan can you help me set up the Essence transfer circles?" he asked his sister.

She nodded and got down on the floor. With a white piece of chalk she drew the Urashima family crest on one side of the floor. On the other side Keitaro did the same. Shinobu placed the European doll on the crest drawn by Kanako while Motoko placed the old Japanese doll on the one drawn by Keitaro.

"Oh, I nearly forgot." commented the university student. He turned his head to face the youngest girl present and asked her, "Shinobu-chan, can you get me a glass of water from the hot-springs?"

She nodded and soon returned with the water. Motoko looked at the glass she handed over and asked, "What is the purpose of that?"

"To help bind the doll to the springs. It's unlikely that we will be able to duplicate the original magic used, so it's the next best thing we can do right now." answered her fiancé while he sprinkled some of the water over both the dolls.

Next he stood at the center between the two circles on the floor and stretched out his hands sideways. Two fluorescent circles formed around his hands floating in the air. He started saying a spell and their color changed to green. The circles on the floor began to glow blue.

Everyone watched as a purple mist seemed to rise from the Japanese doll and flow into circle created by Keitaro's right hand. He tensed as he felt the transfer taking place. Next, the same mist flowed out of the circle around his left hand and got sucked into the European doll. As soon as it was completed, Keitaro collapsed onto the floor.

Motoko rushed up to help him up. She asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

He took a deep breath before replying, "Just tired. Give me a few minutes and I'll be alright. How is the doll?"

Kanako stepped up near the European doll and poked it from the side. It elicited no response. "Nothing" she said. "It still appears to be an inanimate doll."

Shinobu asked from the sidelines, "So was all that for nothing then?"

Keitaro frowned as he picked up the doll under its shoulders with both his hands. "Hmm... that's strange. I'm certain the transfer went without a hitch. Is something missing from the activation procedure?"

"Let me have a look at it?" asked Motoko as she brought her hand up to pick the wooden toy from her fiancé. As soon as she touched the doll's left hand, it began to glow orange. Keitaro dropped it in surprise. When the light dimmed everyone saw that the doll was sitting on the floor and had opened her eyes.

The doll blinked and looked towards Keitaro. In a slow voice she said, "I recognize you as my Lord" then turning towards Motoko she continued, "and you as my Lady." before collapsing back onto the floor.

* * *

_To be continued …_

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